Causes of stress:
I've always worked on Saturdays throughout the year, so I have a six-day week. I'm in for about 9 a.m. and I work until 5.30 p.m. or 5.45 p.m. But I'm on the go all day. I might not get a bite to eat until 4 p.m., and even then it's five or 10 minutes: you have to take it when it's there.
There's pressure all the time. One thing that's stress free is the relationship I have with the people who work here. They are not just staff, they are friends as well. We have people here over 50 years.
If someone is having a suit made or alterations done, I need to make sure the suit is ready on the day he comes in, because he's double-parked, he's stressed and it adds to that stress if we haven't got what the customer wants. It eats me inside to disappoint people, and I love to see them going out the door happy.
Coping with stress:
I have a little house in Co Leitrim. When I go on holidays, I love to stay in Ireland. Like Gerry Adams, I wouldn't say I'm a tree hugger, but I do sit down and look at trees and contemplate their age. I find it very relaxing.
I love nature and wildlife and I often feed foxes. I also have dogs: they are specially bred Glen-of-Imaal terriers.
At the end of the working day, first of all I change into some thing comfortable, like chinos. I have dinner and then possibly go for a walk. I don't play enough golf. I'm a member of the Royal Dublin, but I'm ashamed to tell you how little I play on such a beautiful course. Golf is great: you totally forget about everything else.
Suits you, sir:
If you have a problem with a suit, most of the time people are understanding. But 99 per cent of the time we solve the problem before it happens, so they wouldn't even know something had gone wrong.
I don't lose my temper. I've been married 23 years, and my wife says she's only seen me lose my temper once. When I do, it tends to be on a rugby pitch. It's allowing stress to take hold that's the problem. You just have to bounce it along gently.
In conversation with Elaine Edwards