"THE time I wake up on a Sunday depends very much on what's been going on the night before . . . it's rarely after noon and more often closer to 10.

Whatever time it is, it's always with my partner Gary and my first thought is a happy one, "this is the day that is ours".

I like to cook a proper brunch from scratch.

Sometimes it's the full Irish, sometimes something more adventurous and cosmopolitan.

I'll glance through the papers, starting with a flick through the tabloids to see who's being slagged off. I'll put aside all the features I want to come back to, from obituaries to interiors spreads, and will read them avidly until about the next Thursday.

I'll often do something work related on a Sunday.

Over the past few years I've contributed to Tom McGurk's Sunday Show on RTE One, which means I need my wits about me.

Alternatively, I find the relaxed atmosphere of the day is great for writing and I'm currently working on my first novel.

It's also a good time to read scripts or review edited rough cuts, but wild horses wouldn't drag me into the office unless I had to. Neither will you find me in the shops, unless I need to hit the supermarket for the week ahead, or we have to get something for the house.

There are a few things I always swear I'll get around to 'next Sunday' . . .

like visiting the National Gallery . . . but usually we'll just make it as far as The Bull Wall for some fresh air.

Once you get past those sewage works, the sea breezes are wonderful!

If it's raining, I'll hit the cinema or catch up with some DVDs I've been meaning to watch. Like everyone else, I think sofas were made for Sundays.

I'm a bit of a home bird and won't really go out in the evening unless it's to catch up with friends in their homes.

A good few of my pals still do traditional roast dinners and it's a great way to get decent time with them. If it's my turn, I like to do something like a cote de boeuf because you're guaranteed to get tender meat.

Having worked as a chef, I've seen enough stringy beef in my time. Speaking of which, I will occasionally head to The George for their drag Bingo!

I'm not a great fan of Sunday night TV but will happily settle in front of The Southbank Show or The Actor's Studio on The Performance Channel. On another level, a good Will and Grace back-to-back marathon is hard to pass up. Match it with a good bottle of red wine or a glass of Calvados and I'm in hog heaven.

I'll head to bed around ten with my Sudoku, held over from Saturday's papers. It's beginning to take over my life and thus is my last thought of the weekendf and my first of Monday morning!"