Charmaine Kenny in conversation with GENEVIEVE CARBERY
What's your earliest holiday memory?Holidaying in Yugoslavia with my parents and my mum trying her best to order us fish-fingers from a waiter who had never heard of Captain Birdseye. We were served up fried little fish that were completely intact, with tails and eyes. My brother and I were horrified and thoughts quickly went to Goggles and George, our two pet goldfish at home.
What was your worst holiday?Luckily I've had no outright disasters, although there have been a few instances that don't bring back the fondest memories.
There was a 15-hour delay in Lilongwe airport in Malawi with a boyfriend suffering from Delhi belly. We had nothing to eat and drink except Mars bars and coke, and were all the while missing a very important rugby match. I also missed my connecting flight in Delhi on my way home from a visit with the charity Suas Educational Development. So there have been lots of flight delays. Some of my friends are wary of travelling with me – they think I bring bad luck when it comes to travelling on planes.
What was your best holiday?I splashed out on a holiday to Tanzania during my first year of a real job, taking in a hike up Kilimanjaro, a safari in the Ngorongoro Crater and some relaxation time in Zanzibar. Let's just say that it cost a significant percentage of my salary and I felt the financial effects of that trip for about a year afterwards. But we had a brilliant time and it definitely ranks as my best holiday yet.
If budget or work were not a restriction, what would be your dream holiday?The destination would definitely be somewhere I haven't been before. I like exploring new places – the world is too big and life is too short to visit the same place twice.
If you had your pick, who would you bring on holiday with you?Someone who is interested in eating, the outdoors, and isn't averse to a bit of pampering. Someone who is happy to sleep in a tent one night and a five-star hotel the next night.
Finally, someone who likes reading guidebooks as I tend to be a bit lazy when it comes to planning the finer details of a holiday.
What's your favourite place in Ireland?Because I have been living in cities for the past 10 years or so, I like to get away to somewhere rural that feels somewhat remote. I've had great times in Kinsale, Enniscorthy and Quilty. Your recommended holiday reading? I like books I can get deeply lost in when I'm on holiday, where the subject is far removed from my own life, such as the Harry Potter books. I recently finished a book called Shantaram, by Gregory David Roberts, which I would highly recommend.
Where will you go to next?At the moment I'm on a six- week trip visiting some of the international Rose of Tralee centres and attending selection events which are taking place in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sydney, Queensland, Darwin and New Zealand. It's a tough job!
Charmaine Kenny is the 2009 International Rose of Tralee. The 2010 Rose of Tralee international regional final takes in the Portlaoise Heritage Hotel, June 3rd- 7th.