JOHN D'ALTON is a former press photographer who went on to work as a journalism teacher, technology trainer and an IT manager.
Currently a publican in Schull, West Cork, he is still taking photographs, mainly landscapes and portraits, and writes the odd book.
His latest book This Is The Mizen is a rigorous and wide-ranging investigation into the history and landscape of the Mizen Peninsula in West Cork.
John D'Alton with his latest bookDrawing on extensive research D’Alton, a long-time Mizen resident, brings clarity to a land that is often defined by myth and romanticisation.
He interrogates the available evidence - archaeological, geological, historical and anecdotal - to construct a grounded and nuanced account of The Mizen’s past.
This week he took time out to talk to the Irish Post...
Which piece of music always sends a shiver down your spine?
Pink Floyd’s The Great Gig In The Sky. Or maybe The Stranglers’ Down In The Sewer.
Which piece of music would make you get up and leave a party?
Any country & western or country & Irish song. Although I did see Johnny Cash in concert in the National Stadium.
What made you write This is Mizen?
It started as an A3 guide, so ignorant was I of what I was getting myself into.
Mozart or Martin Hayes?
Mozart. In a recent pub discussion on the topic: if you had to choose a single artist to listen to for the rest of your life, who would it be. My answer was Mozart.
What are you reading at the moment?
Dominion by Tom Holland.
What is your favourite place in Ireland?
The Mizen Peninsula.
Opera or pantomime?
Opera.
Has any book influenced you greatly?
Dubliners, by James Joyce
Which person from the past do you most admire?
Michael Collins.
What would be your motto?
The lesson of life is survival.
What’s your favourite quote from a book?
Evolution is a fact. (The Greatest Show on Earth by Richard Dawkins.)
In terms of inanimate objects, what is your most precious possession?
Possessions are ephemeral, I don’t get attached to them. One can’t bring them across the Styx.
What do you believe in?
That life goes on.
Who (or what) is the greatest love of your life?
Music.
See More: John D’Alton, Mizen Peninsula, West Cork
