What I did at the weekend, by Shane Lynch aged 22 ½.

Ever wondered where you might find SHANE BOYZONE on his days off? Try looking in muddy fields for starters...

What’s the first thing you do when you get up on a Saturday?

Well I get up about ten cos that’s a nice time - not too early. Then I look out the back window and check my fish are still swimming happily in the fish pond. I breed Koi fish and I'm into them in a big way. Koi are very expensive so it plays on my mind all the time. I do lots of water tests to make sure the temperature’s just right for them.

Do you take care of odd jobs around the garden?

Oh yeah. There’s so much to be done in me garden. I like planting trees. It's very therapeutic.

Are you an outdoor type?

I enjoy moto cross. It's great bombing around the countryside in huge, four-wheel drive trucks. Sometimes I'll take a gang of mates, but quite often I'll head off on my own. I go quite a lot and it's quite good exercise to be honest. Exercise?! Oh yeah! It takes the life out of you. I'll go out in the morning and drive all day.

Ever go on healthy ten-mile hikes in the beautiful Irish countryside?

The only walking I do is when I go shooting rabbits. I head out through the fields and the forests. It's very relaxing and it makes me feel good. I love it. (Boo - we bet the rabbits don't...)

On rainy days off do you spend hours watching daytime TV?

I catch a bit of Jerry Springer and I sometimes watch wildlife programs on the Discovery Channel too. I'm very interested in animals, but I shoot rabbits so I don't know if I could call myself an animal lover!

How do you and Easther relax on your days off?

When Easther and I get together, which isn’t very often, we never seem to get round to doing much relaxing. We always seem to have so many things going on. I'm not into going out much, but I always seem to have things to do - like feeding my fish. They take up a lot of time actually!

Bet you spend hours tinkering on your cars too!

Actually, nearly all my spare time is spent working on vehicles, from tractors to bikes. I've got two off road bikes and nine cars so there’s always plenty to be done and I love bombing around in my truck.

What’s your ideal evening activity on a day off?

I quite like sitting in a field having a few drinks with the boys. There are a few fields around my way you know. It's a big area. Easther doesn't drink. Usually I'm in the house with Easther though, just chilling, although it does depend on the kind of evening.

Do you ever venture into town?

I like going to the movies. I don't like true stories though - they're soppy - and I hate romantic films. Action movies, horror films or comedies are my thing. I'd never go to the movies with anyone but Easther. She'd kick the hell out of me if I went without her.

Do you have any favourite restaurants in Dublin?

I don't like going to restaurants because I eat out most days of my life when I'm on the road with the boys. I much prefer cooking a meal at home. It's quite difficult going out in public. I'd quite like to go bowling more often although I'm not actually very good at it so maybe it's just as well!

Do you still go out partying?

No, no, I'm not into parties or night clubs. I've been there, done that. In fact I did all of that when I was 14 years old. Call me boring but all you do in a night club is fight. There’s no such thing as having a good night out any more. People are too rowdy.

Do you ring your mates for a chat?

Noooo! I hate phones! I hate them with a passion! I make sure I keep conversations as short as possible. Chatting to the people on the phone is so impersonal. I much prefer talking face to face.

Surely you phone your mum on a regular basis?

No, not particularly. She usually ends up phoning me every other week just because I never remember to call her. She just calls up to check I'm OK and to find out what I'm up to and when I'll be popping round. I don't mind though. I love me mum like any son does. She's always saying ‘Are you eating your food? Are you getting enough rest?’

Do you ever confide in her?

No. Even if I had a big problem I wouldn't tell her. I'm a very secretive person and I prefer to keep everything to myself. I'm not a drama queen in the sense that I don't tell everybody everything. I couldn't be bothered. And I don't like hearing other people’s problems either. I keep myself to myself.

So when are you next visiting the family home?

Who knows?! It could be six months before I see me mum. On the other hand, I'm sure I'll be popping by in the next fortnight. I'm a good son really!

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