Christmas Q&A: Peter Dunne, Breakfast presenter, Midlands 103

What is your favourite Christmas film or song?

We started a bit of a tradition of watching Angela’s Christmas 1&2 with the kids, a brilliant Irish animation and a wonderful story. When the kids go to bed, I’ll put on Bad Santa!

Favourite song?

It’s very hard to beat Fairytale of New York, but I like to belt out Dominic the Donkey on the radio every so often at Christmas, the kids love it!

What are you doing on Christmas Day?

First thing is to all go downstairs together and see if Santa came, maybe sneak in a bar or two from a selection box, we’ll go to Mass, then home for the day. Family will come and go throughout the day, we’ll have the dinner then the obligatory nap on the couch in front of a movie, followed by a turkey, ham and stuffing sandwich!

What’s your favourite part of Christmas dinner?

Having family with us at the table and a good laugh. That and when the cranberry sauce mixes with the stuffing and honey glazed ham, heaven!

Do you help cook?

Myself and my wife share the cooking duties on the day, it’s similar to a military operation, timing is key, communication is vital and don’t forget the roasties!

What’s your best Christmas memory?

It’s hard to beat bursting into the sitting room on Christmas morning and seeing the room filled with presents, but among my fondest Christmas memories are of the Christmas parties for kids that were held every year in the army barracks.

If you have a parent who served in the army, you know how epic those parties were. Every time I hear Merry Christmas Everyone by Paul McCartney, I’m transported straight back to the NCOs’ mess in Mullingar

What’s the strangest Christmas gift you’ve ever received?

I once got a Lynx set from Midlands 103’s Ronan Berry that was full of Haribo sweets. I was disappointed not to get the deodorant and shower gel set, but I gave those sweets a good home!

Are you an organised shopper or a last minute gift buyer on Christmas Eve?

I’m very last minute. I can normally be seen running through Mullingar on Christmas Eve in a blind panic.

Are you planning on making a new year resolution?

I have a marathon training plan waiting for me in the new year. Myself and my good friend Christopher Cribbin ran a marathon earlier this year in Manchester and with the help of our amazing Breakfast Show listeners raised over €5000 for Barretstown Children’s Charity.

We signed up for it again in 2025, so I’m on a mission to eat as many mince pies, turkey sandwiches and celebrations as possible before the hard work starts.