Different people give their views of Valentine's Day

RYAN TUBRIDY

Part of me thinks it is an appalling festival dominated by tack and tat. The other part of me feels it is an occasion which should be marked by couples but only in a way that is slightly more offbeat. There is something very tedious about the obligatory scenes being played out in restaurants around the country, with smug couples force-feeding romance to each other before going home to row about what a rubbish night they had. And what is with this "let's all go to Paris" business? My idea of hell would be to join the crowds on the HMS Smugatonia over to the city of lurve and hang out with all those dreadful people in polo necks. I think giving someone a good book or piece of music is a far nicer way to celebrate.

• Ryan Tubridy presents The Full Irish on 2FM

PHIL COULTER

Thanks for reminding me! Like most couples, I will probably spend the evening over a romantic dinner with my wife. Valentine's Day is a week before my birthday, so I usually get a good present. Last year it was a trip to Cuba, which was probably the best yet. And the most romantic present to give to your loved one will always be a dozen red roses.

• Phil Coulter is a songwriter, musician and, most recently, judge on You're A Star, on RTE1

FIONA O'MALLEY

I detest Valentine's Day for the usual reasons. It is too commercialised, it's fake and I don't think there should be one special day a year where you show your love to your man or woman. Even though I hate it, my boyfriend is quite romantic, so he usually ends up doing something despite my anti-Valentine's Day stance. The best thing he ever did was quite unusual. He knows I love gorgeous fabrics, so one year he bought me a beautiful roll of material with the definition of love printed all over it. I thought that was a wonderful gift.

• Fiona O'Malley is Progressive Democrats TD for Dún Laoghaire

BRENDAN COURTNEY

Valentine's Day is a sham. What I really hate about it is the fact that it's a horrible day for single women and the expectation of romance creates an awful atmosphere in offices around the country. You have the women with partners who really, really want to be sent flowers and then all the single women who pretend they don't care and spend the day trying to ignore the whole thing. Women should forget about it, but they won't. So what I do every year, and what I tell all my male friends to do, is to send a bunch of flowers to five single female friends on Valentine's Day. It is up to us gay men to take the sting out of February 14th for single women everywhere.

• Brendan Courtney is a television presenter