Latest posts by Martin Moodie (see all)
- Discovering a fresh philosophy in Shenzhen and talking Trinity in Ho Chi Minh City - April 24, 2024
- How I overcame Severe Tire Damage to become the oldest influencer in town - April 20, 2024
- Free as a (Kiwi) bird and flying high in Haikou - April 13, 2024
Long-time Aer Rianta International (ARI) executive Liam Flood has turned his hand to fiction writing and The Moodie Blog is delighted to offer three copies of his new book in our latest readers’ competition.
Liam, one of the great ‘World Rovers’ of travel retail, joined Aer Rianta in 1977 and enjoyed a number of senior roles at Dublin Airport Authority and ARI, where he worked in many overseas locations over a 34-year career, including St Petersburg, Moscow, Kiev and Hong Kong.
Before leaving the company in 2011, Liam (pictured below) was General Manager Lenrianta from April 2002 to August 2009 and General Manager ARIAL Runway Duty Free Domodedovo Airport. At the time he said he would be “pursuing other interests”. Now we know what they are.
‘No Margin for Error’ is a thriller. And no, despite the title and Liam’s status as one of travel retail’s most experienced executives, it’s not about a concession bid gone wrong or a retailer/supplier negotiation that ends in violence (anyway some of those would not count as fiction).
Instead it’s all about what might happen if a terrorist organisation stopped using volunteers and used professional hit men, then targeted strategic individuals instead of random attacks. It’s apparently a great read.
You’ll have to read the book to discover more, but I couldn’t resist the chance to quote the following excerpt, surely inspired by many a store check in an Irish-run duty free shop:
“Alan dashed at breakneck speed but in his frantic rush, tripped over a protruding cash register cable. He went headfirst into a Burberry display, coming to rest gazing up at Giorgio Armani’s latest creations. As he scrambled to regain his footing, he saw it; the soft leather resting on the ground between the overcoats.
“Sweet Mother of Jesus, guys, come down here.”
The book is available now in selected book stores in Dublin and on Amazon. Oh yes, and on The Moodie Blog. To win a copy of ‘No Margin for Error’, readers simply have to answer the following questions to enter the draw. First three correct replies to be drawn out of a hat win.
1) What famous Russian city, formerly known as Leningrad, did Liam Flood once work in?
2) Name another well-known Irish ‘Liam’ who starred in the films Schindler’s List and Michael Collins.
Send your answers by e-mail to Martin@TheMoodieReport.com headed ‘Amazon Flood’ by 28 March.
P.S. The winners in our recent competition to get a free copy of ‘Be Inspired’, the story of Munster’s heroes (including an article by yours truly) compiled by Irish author John Garrett, were:
Martin Waldron
David Spillane
David Godfrey
Tommy Liddy
David Bevan
Karl Sutcliffe
The correct answers to the questions below were Ollie Campbell and Stephen ‘the duck’ Donald.
1) Who was Tony Ward’s constant rival for the Irish number 10 shirt?
2) What fourth-choice New Zealand number 10, cruelly derided by many All Blacks’ supporters as ‘Duck’ (and, appropriately, currently located in a Bath outfit), kicked a crucial penalty to help his team win the 2011 Rugby World Cup final?