At 33 and still excitedly exploring the future, Liam Horan already has tackled a number of careers. He can produce several T-shirts to show he's been there and done that.
After the Leaving Cert at the CBS in Ballinrobe, he underwent an apprenticeship in provincial journalism as a reporter in Mayo. After the private radio stations were legalised, he was the first person in Ireland to do a running football commentary on the airwaves as sports head on the mid-west station in Ballyhaunis.
Though lacking national journalistic experience, he was appointed GAA correspondent of The Irish Independent at 27. Then, after five years, he returned to Ballinrobe, to become, until recently, manager-facilitator of Lake District Enterprises, dedicated to extolling the attractions of the countryside around Lough Mask. During all this he found time, in partnership with a friend, to set up a private printing concern that's still going strong. Enough already? Not really.
Mr Horan, after a jaunt to America to replenish his ideas bank, is now embarked on a new entrepreneurial venture involving the 54 most famous football clubs in Mayo. Despite his impressive record of achievements, Mr Horan says he's not really ambitious in the sense of clawing his way up a career ladder. "I'm not a careerist," he says. "For me, ambition should be to do your job well every day - if you do, then opportunities will open up for you."
He's grateful for the "leap of faith" that prompted editors to give him a job on a national paper even though he had no previous national journalistic experience.
He's glad to see the slow demise of the "decent skin" school of journalism where an older generation of sports writers tended to cover up "bad news" stories about sporting organisations and players. "My instinct always was to cover the real news," he says. "Sports writers are not there to eulogise players which they might do if they're too cosy with them. Thankfully, the younger reporters aren't doing that."
Even though Horan enjoyed the "big time" in Dublin journalism, he didn't hesitate for a moment when offered the Lakeside Enterprises job back home.
