James Kavanagh is a man about town. Well, now he’s a man about Kilkenny town… and he’s loving it.
VIP Magazine caught up with the podcaster and presenter this week to hear all about his iconic night out traditions, how he’s adjusted to country life and what plans he has ahead of the Hayu InstaStar Awards.
Hi James! How do you feel about being nominated for an InstaStar Award again?
Really excited! It’s always such a brilliant night, it gets such a good crowd. I’m just really excited for the night out, and don’t forget to vote for me!
Do you have your outfit planned?
Not yet, I’m such a last-minuter when it comes to anything. I’m actually heading to a wedding in a couple of hours in France. I’m flying out this evening and I literally just looked at the invite to see what the dress code was, so I’m that last minute. Luckily, it’s “colourful summer wedding”, so I think I have a few bits that would be fine.
What is the best part of your job?
The best part of my job is that it’s very unscheduled. It’s very all over the place but that suits me. I’ve worked in PR and marketing, which I loved, for about seven or eight years, and that was great but I was kinda ready for something new. I guess the good thing about my job is that it’s led me to so many different types of opportunities like TV or radio.
I’ve a podcast (The Simpler Life) now too, and I did a TV show recently with my boyfriend where we were hunting for a house (The Great Inspo Home Adventure with James Kavanagh). So I think the fact that it’s opened doors for me, opened many different types of doors, is probably the best thing about it.
So you moved from Dublin to Kilkenny. What made you choose the countryside over a big, busy city like Dublin?
My boyfriend William is from Cork, a little place called Currabinny, and we spent a lot of time down there during Covid. I’d say around two months straight was the longest period. I just found myself happier in the countryside, and that kind of planted a seed I think. Then a year or two after that I was like, why don’t we actually look at moving down the country, so we started looking seriously.
But it was that kind of slower pace of life that I wanted. I love nature too, I’m becoming more and more obsessed with it. I just put a pond in my garden, I’ve two hedgehogs in the garden, we’ve a family of bats down the end where the trees are. It’s just kind of wonderful to experience that. I love it.
Is there anything you miss about the city?
Deliveroo. Without question I miss Deliveroo. I think our eating habits have gotten really good because we both cook like all the time. We’re kind of an ingredients house, we actually have to make the food. But I miss the luxury of just hopping on when you’re wrecked and just ordering a pizza or, what’s that Indian I love? Kerala Kitchen. I definitely miss Deliveroo.
How is Kilkenny treating you?
Really well! When we first moved down, within the first week we had met everyone in a 5K radius from us, I think. Everyone dropped down, they dropped stuff they were growing, one of my neighbours Veronica dropped us some homemade brown bread that was still warm along with a pot of jam she had made. It was just that immediate sense of love.
I always said to myself, I’ll know a year into it if I’m still into it. It’s been a year and a couple of months now, and I’m still finding love for it.
Is it easier to get that strong sense of community where you are now than it was in the city?
Yeah, it was harder. When we lived in Phibsborough, there was a great sense of community there, but I didn’t know my next door neighbours. I knew people around the corner because they were my mates, but because you’re in a city and people are coming and going all the time it’s harder. That’s apartment living, I mean that’s just the way it goes, and that’s great for a period, but I kinda wanted something more permanent.
Any big plans coming up?
Yeah, our house renovation, that’s the big thing. We’re kinda getting ready for that now. We’re working with a friend of mine, Deirdre, she has a company called Tandem, and they’re doing the design for us. We’re kind of looking at all the renders at the moment, and we’ve talked to a local contractor.
I love the house we’re in, but the wiring is terrible. You plug something in the sitting room and the light bulb goes in the dining room. It’s just very higgledy – piggledy, it needs to be plumbed and all that stuff. So that’s the big thing coming for us that I cannot wait to get into, because I love interior design too so I’m really excited.
You’re working with Buzzballz at the moment. Do you have any good night out stories?
I tend to leave the house after a pre-drink or whatever in my comfy shoes, so so many times I’ve worn crocs to the club. Or slippers. My friends call me “Slippers” because I’ve worn them so many times! I wore them to Crystal one time, these kind of really furry slippers I got in the Kilkenny shop. They were kind of made of sheep’s wool. So, I’ve worn slippers so many times to the club I now have a nickname ‘Slippers’.
That’s kinda cool though, it’s like a statement.
You know what, don’t knock it till you try it. And people don’t look at your feet when you’re in the club, really. My friends notice because they’re my friends, but otherwise I’m just bopping the night away in my slippers or my crocs. Put the heels down and go out in your slippers!
Iconic, honestly. Another question, what’s your favourite flavoured BuzzBall?
Absolutely the Buzzballz Choc Tease one. I think it’s delicious. It tastes like Baby Guinness!
