Current Car — David Leahy is the Chief Executive Officer of the Galway Roscommon Education and Training Board. Fitting for the former history teacher, his driving past is varied and interesting. Currently the owner of an Audi A6, his first car was actually a van. Remembered by David as ‘a great little servant’, the 1991 Toyota Starlet, transported David from Trinity College to his lodgings saving him the twenty mile daily cycle.The Starlet saw him through the naughties, and was replaced by a series of cars, including a Nissan Almera, Saab 95 and a much loved Land Rover Defender.
Soundtrack. The CEO has clocked up over 250,000 miles in the twelve year old A6, so what audio is coming out of the Audi? David admits to being a current affairs fan, moving the dial between RTE Radio 1 and Newstalk. But it’s not all talk, often while driving at night Mr Leahy will stick on Mr Springsteen and crank it up.
Favourite Journey — With responsibility for education, training centres and services spread across two counties, one hopes David’s favourite journey is within the GRETB boundary. It is and David is passionate when he reveals it. ‘Driving through The Inagh Valley in Connemara does my heart good, It’s God’s own country’ David enthuses
Perfect Passenger — ‘Other than my wife, it would have to be a Minister’ says the CEO. Someone like Simon Harris, Minister for Further and Higher Education, who just gave GRETB the green light for a proposed College of the Future in Galway? We think so.
Ideal Chauffeur — David declares he likes to drive himself, but the thought of being able to sit back and relax on journeys has its appeal. He goes on to tell of a phone app he uses which speaks his emails as he drives. As he gets on average 300 emails a week, it does not look if a chauffeured David would have much time to relax in the A6.
Lotto Win Car — This question brings David right back to his big motoring regret. Selling the Defender. The 00 tank ‘had it all’ in David’s words. Oversized roof rack, roof ladder, fully loaded. If he won lotto David would ‘undo the wrong’ and replace the Defender but not with a shiny new one. No, it’s back to the future and a relic from 2000. As Brucie says ‘Baby we were born to run’
