David Gallagher
Wine manager, Fallon & Byrne
Your favourite off-licence?
I generally pick up a few bottles in Fallon & Byrne, checking out new vintages of wines we have been following, otherwise, if I fancy a few beers I’ll pop into my local O’Briens in Sandyford
How do you describe yourself?
I’ll leave that to the people who know me; modest?
What’s your favourite drink?
Wine, red white or rose, sparkling or still
What’s your favourite drink brand, outside of any brands you may represent, and why?
Guinness, let’s make Arthur’s day an annual event and public holiday! Guinness is such a powerful Irish brand with fabulous advertisements and history
Should drink ads be limited/banned, why/why not?
No, however the promotion of price-focused products should be limited, focusing instead on the product itself
What piece of legislation would you introduce/change?
The old chestnut of duty on Champagne and wine; introducing a standard duty rate for all EU countries
The best gift you ever received?
Most recently, a wedding gift from my cousin Sinead and her husband Cormac; a full lamb! Beautiful, broken down and ready for the freezer, we’re gradually working our way through it
What possession could you not live without?
Cufflinks
What was your first job?
Pot washer in Fitzers aged 14. Many happy memories and still meet up with people I worked with then, 21 years ago!
What’s the worst ad ever?
Christmas ads in June. Wrong
What’s your favourite drink ad at the moment?
The Heineken ads showing the flashback of the life of the green bottle
Country & western or rock ‘n roll?
Rock “n” roll mixed in with a bit of Hip hop
Who is inspirational in the Irish trade?
The next generation of twenty something’s coming through, brimming with enthusiasm and desire for knowledge and passion for the product
What (if anything) was the last thing you bought on the Internet?
A few tracks from itunes and flights
What’s your favourite food?
Food at the table, shared with family and friends. Comfort food, creamy mashed potatoes, a juicy rib eye steak cooked on the barbeque, in November
Wine or beer?
Wine, with the odd cheeky Friday Guinness in the Stag’s Head
What makes you laugh?
I laugh a lot; many, many things
Favourite insult?
Who pissed in your cornflakes?
Who (out of anyone in the whole world alive or dead) would you most like to have drinks with?
The late Keith Floyd, although it could turn very messy. We would discuss our shared love of food, wine and travel over a glass of whatever’s to hand