In a West Cork Minute - Veronica O'Mahony

Newly-crowned All-Ireland intermediate women’s bowling champion Veronica O’Mahony – from Bweeng – shares her secret on how to get the best possible cup of Americano

What’s the one thing you can’t live without?

Strong coffee. Imagine starting the day with a weak, watery cup of coffee. I shudder at the thought.

What would I find in your fridge right now?

In every TV show, when someone opens a fridge you always see a plate of jelly. A plate? Of jelly? Who puts jelly on a plate? In my fridge there’s a bowl of jelly. There is enough chaos in the world.

Name one element your sport could/should take from another? 

I’d take back the word ‘bowling’ from American ten-pin bowling. That’s a carnival game. It should be called ten-pen knocking. Leave bowling to the professionals.

What do you think about when you’re alone in your car? 

The preposterous amount of traffic lights in Cork. Every ten yards. The urban planner who designed the city must only have turned up for the traffic lights module in college.

Who has been the biggest influence on your sporting career?

My dad. He’s won loads of trophies and he’s always so encouraging and supportive.

Pick two celebrities to be your parents: 

Daniel and Majella.

What do you think cats dream of?

One day having the mental strength to ignore a dangling piece of thread so they can stop making a holy show of themselves.

If you could play any other sport for one day what would it be?

The Olympic sport where they make horses dance. It’s called dressage. Two questions – who came up with that sport and who came up with that name?

If you joined a circus, what would you perform?

A tune on the violin. Bring a bit of class to the place.

If you could get rid of one county in Ireland what would it be and why?

Clare. Their biggest attraction is the Burren: a barren landscape that, for some reason, has to be studied in detail by every young person in Ireland. Sort yourselves out lads.

What would you do if you found a penguin in your freezer?

I’d offer him jelly and a brrrrrito.

Before we let you go, teach us something that we don’t know: 

At self-serving coffee machines if you’re getting an Americano, it’s always espresso followed by hot water. Don’t bother getting a large cup. Get a regular cup and pull it away from the water when it’s near the top. That way you’ve got a proper strong cup of coffee and you have saved yourself the best part of a euro. It is dishonest? Nah, it’s not like you are telling the cashier it’s tea. Start the day right.