Minute with Synnott

Meet... TOM WARREN

WITH TONY SYNNOTT

WHERE IN IRELAND WERE YOU BORN?

St. Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny, the offspring of legitimate parents which wasn’t unusual at the time. According to my loving mother the birth was painless, but the pain endured in my upbringing more than addressed the imbalance!

HOW MANY OF A FAMILY DID YOU COME FROM, GIRLS AND BOYS?

The second and least sensible of three boys I acquired good sabotage skills at an early age. It wasn’t that I was malicious, just needed a method to counteract the favouritism afforded to my older sibling.

HOW DID YOUR SCHOOLING GO FOR YOU, HOW FAR DID YOU GO?

In a word, disastrous. Got shipped off to boarding school to realise a vocation. Along the way I got vocation confused with vacation. To hell with your Latin, the rest is history (my favourite subject).

MOST IRISH GO TO ENGLAND, DID YOU GO THERE BEFORE YOU CAME TO PERTH?

Only as a visitor, to be honest the colonies appealed to me much more, resulting in me opting for selfimposed banishment from the cold and the rain. Got so cold when I came from that priests could be routinely observed with their hands in their own pockets.

WHAT WAS YOUR IMPRESSION OF AUSTRALIA?

A welcoming place, a place with opportunities to diversify. I embraced it from the outset, but this country also embraced me. It's got to be the most generous country on the planet with negative gearing and a multitude of different benefits, including long service leave. since its inception. It seems to attract a decent class of animal there. I also find the Woodbridge Hotel a welcoming and pleasant venue to displace the froth on a few.

DO YOU HAVE A HOBBY? WHAT IS THE BEST FILM YOU’VE EVER SEEN? WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE ACTOR?

My hobby is toolmaking (it’s a type of mental illness) but I enjoy nothing better than time in my shed. My motto: “If its not busted I will fix it until it is”. As far as movies go I find it hard to recover the time spent watching most of them.

THE IRISH CLUB IS ALWAYS OPEN FOR NEW IDEAS, WHAT'S YOUR IMPRESSION, CAN YOU HELP?

Sadly, I think its nigh on impossible to resurrect interest in the Irish Club. It’s a building that demands too much commitment. Would be nice to have a window to look out even if it was to stimulate your desire to be somewhere else. I think it has limited options, one of which would involve a bulldozer.

WELL TOM, YOU ARE VERY HAPPY WITH YOUR LIFE, WHAT KEEPS YOU TICKING OVER?

My expectations are modest and as a result I rarely get disappointed. I’m also a dreamer and I will strive to ensure that I never get too old to dream a new dream.

DO YOU GO BACK HOME OFTEN, HAVE YOU GOT FAMILY TO WELCOME YOU STILL?

Yes, two children and four grandchildren who love to see me and give me the grandest welcome. As for the brother I’m not sure if he’s forgiven the sabotage but its only been 50 years so it might still be a bit early.

HAVE YOU ANY ADVICE FROM YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE FOR NEW PEOPLE COMING HERE TO LIVE AND WORK?

THE IRISH SCENE IS THE HEART OF THE IRISH PEOPLE. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF IT?

I like reading the Irish Scene. Its got some great content, especially historical, and its very affordable.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE WATERING HOLE, AND WHY?

I have been frequenting and enjoying JB O’Reilly’s

THE IRISH SCENE | 71

My advice is to embrace this great country, fully apply themselves, work like Navvies and it’s ok to question your sanity as you find yourself busting a gut alone in some remote part of the state on a Sunday morning having to listen to Macca on the ABC. Operate on the philosophy of “what's hard to endure will invariably be sweet to recall”.

IF YOU COULD GO ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, WHERE WOULD IT BE?

I’d like to be transported to a different era, for example being a part of the industrial revolution, possibly in Switzerland, contributing to the manufacture of the most exquisitely built and performing machines and instruments. Interview edited for brevity