Twice 5 Miles welcomes renaissance thinker Conor Kennedy to the microphone. This show, which I recorded in the spring of 2019, is titled Dublin Defines Me. If you find yourself defined by place or closely identified with the land you call home, you’ll vibe with this conversation, and you’ll quickly understand why I titled this show Dublin Defines Me.
Sadly, cancer took Conor from this world in 2019. I’m posting this show again because of its timeless content. Like so many from Ireland, Conor cherished storytelling, books, and reading. He thought deeply about local and global dilemmas and offered thoughtful insights that asked you to pause. While Dublin Defined Conor, it would be fair to say that Conor did his bit to define Dublin. Conor would never say, while Dublin Defines Me; I define Dublin, but many in his circle would without hesitation say such a thing of Conor.
Conor was also one of Ireland’s legendary Advertising executives. The company he founded, Javelin Advertising Agency (www.javelinagency.com), continues as one of the top advertising agencies in Europe alongside such prominent players as Ogilvy, Sachi, and Publicis.
While advertising was Conor’s day job, contemplation was his life. Often you’d see him with his long white hair flowing over his tall shoulders wander the streets of his home town darting in and out of books shops, stopping along the way to chat with shopkeepers or lifelong friends. I suspect many thought Conor must have wandered out of a 19th-century novel to lift a glass and sing with the band playing at the pubs.
On November evening, Conor and I met fifteen years ago in a small town called Dalkey 12K west of Dublin. He arrived fully Conor, jacket properly rumpled, long white hair in place, a fancy watch, and an expensive bottle of wine. He was hungry for supper and ready to tell a few stories. We talked way past midnight. That night, Conor slept on the couch because the stories took us way past the last train to Dublin.
Enjoy this show. Here’s to Conor Kennedy and you while you listen.
