Award-winning Cork travel journalist Ed Finn tells JANE MCNAMARA about a trip abroad when he was a student at Pres that shaped his life… and gives his three favourite destinations that can be reached from Cork Airport
For Bishopstown’s Ed Finn, life has never followed a straight path. From finance to travel, journalism to broadcasting, his career has taken him to every corner of the globe.
After winning two prestigious awards for his travel journalism in just a matter of weeks, now seems a good time to reflect on his extraordinary journey, and the deep Cork connections that have shaped him.
“I’m a proud Cork man through and through,” Finn says. “I was born in the Bon Secours Hospital and grew up in Bishopstown. I went to Pres Primary then Presentation Brothers College on the Western Road. That school shaped me in so many ways.”
Indeed, it was during his time at Pres that his passion for travel first took hold, thanks to a once-in-a-lifetime school trip in July, 1979.
“Brother Jerome Kelly, a legend in Cork, organised an absolutely incredible school tour when I was 14. He was way ahead of his time. Forty of us flew from Cork to Rimini, travelled to Rome, and camped at the Seven Hills campsite. But the real surprise came two days later.”
The ‘surprise’ was a private audience with Pope John Paul II which Brother Jerome had organised.
“We were lined up in our school shirts and ties in the Vatican Gardens, and the Mercedes pulled up and the Pope himself walked down the line, meeting each of us. It was surreal. It was a hot July day. He was dressed all in white. He looked lit up almost. I don’t think I appreciated what an incredible moment it was until later.”
The trip took Finn and his classmates to Italy, Switzerland, France, and Monaco. “I’ll never forget seeing Princess Grace and Prince Rainier driving out of the palace in Monte Carlo in an open top car. We couldn’t believe our eyes – this was the 1970s, and here we were witnessing something out of a film.”
Looking back, he sees that journey as a defining moment.
“I remember the trip cost £369! It was quite an amount at the time. I will never forget it. It opened my eyes to the world. It made me realise that travel was something I wanted to be part of forever.”
After school, Finn initially followed a more conventional path. “I went into finance, working for a savings and investments firm in Cork. Then I moved to Dublin to work on Baggot Street.”
But the pull of travel was too strong. “One of my colleagues introduced me to his brother Donal, who had a student and group travel company. He needed someone to crack the Cork market. That was my chance.”
Finn took to the travel industry like a natural. “I was flying schools from Dublin to Paris. I was bringing school groups from Manchester to Rome. It was a great time.”
His career eventually took him to South Africa, a place that immediately felt like home. “The first time I landed in Cape Town, I knew I was meant to be there.”
He set up Planet Africa Travel there. “I started bringing Irish groups on golf trips, wine tours, and bridge holidays. The value was incredible, and the experiences were like nothing else.”
In Cape Town, he also discovered his passion for writing. “I took a journalism course with the writer, Sarah Bullen, and she told me I had a knack for it. That gave me the push I needed.”
Soon, he was writing travel pieces for The Cape Argus and later the Irish Independent. “Kevin Flanagan, who edited the travel section, saw my work and gave me a chance.”
Sadly, Finn’s father died suddenly while he was living away. “I knew then I needed to be home. I had done my stint in South Africa,” he said.
Print soon led to radio. “I had done some radio in Cape Town and when I moved home, Sunshine Radio asked if I’d do a travel segment. I still do that, as well as regular features with Claire Byrne on RTÉ Radio 1. ”
TV followed, with Finn hosting Never Been North, on what was TV3, now Virgin Media. “It was about Northern Ireland and all the incredible places people didn’t realise were there.”
Since then, he’s travelled the world, covering everything from European City breaks to U.S road trips.
This has been a milestone year for Finn. In January, he won the Travel Extra Journalist Award for National Broadcaster of the Year for Ed Finn’s America.
“I was absolutely thrilled with that. We spent eight weeks in the U.S., covering places that Irish viewers rarely see – Cleveland, Cincinnati, Philadelphia. I wanted to show them a different side of America.”
And in February, he took home the Best Broadcaster gong at the Travel Media Awards. “That one means so much because it’s voted on by my peers in the media.”
So what’s next for Finn?
“Season two of Ed Finn’s America is already in the works, and it’s going to be even bigger. We’re looking at Utah, Las Vegas – some really exciting locations.”
Closer to home, he’s also developing Ed’s Wild Irish Ride, a travel challenge series based in Ireland. “It’s going to be a bit mad, full of unexpected adventures. I can’t wait.”
I finish our chat by asking Ed what are his three top three destinations that can be reached from Cork Airport.
“Rome enchants me with its timeless history, vibrant piazzas, and the best pasta in the world,” he said.
“Don’t miss the Pantheon, and have an Aperol Spritz from the rooftop bar at the nearby Albergo del Senato. I also love the Abbey Theatre Bar there.
“Seville’s flamenco, Moorish beauty, and buzzing tapas bars make it an unforgettable experience. It is a flat city and perfect for bike tours, and the best Flamenco you’ll ever experience at Flamenco La Contaora.
“Zurich, with its serene lakeside setting and rich literary history home to James Joyce’s final resting place, the Fluntern Cemetery, offers a perfect blend of culture and charm. Try the Zeughauskeller Haus for amazing local dishes.”
Ed concludes: “And my favourite place in Cork is Rossini’s Italian Restaurant – always an amazing time there.”
For Travel to Switzerland please visit www.myswitzerland.com
Flights to Zurich – www.aerlingus.com