Where have you just come back from?
I've been doing a play in Galway city for the International Arts Festival. It's one of my favourite places. A pint of Guinness on a sunny day in Galway is one of the greatest things in the world.
Where in the world have you felt happiest?
Probably West Kerry, again in Ireland. I've been going since I was a small boy; my parents took me there and I take my kids now. I love going out to the Blasket Islands, which haven't been populated since the 1950s. No shops, no electricity, nothing, just seals on the beach. It makes you feel pure, cleans out your soul, cleans out the cobwebs from your brain.
Name a place that most lived up to the hype
Tokyo was pretty amazing. I'd only ever seen it in movies and read about it in books. I must have eaten my own body weight in raw fish while I was there and I thought the energy was incredible. It really had an effect on me.
And a place that least lived up to the hype
Vegas didn't do it for me. I felt a little bit dirty after that, like I was a loser on a game show. It just felt empty. I can see why people go there, but it seems to be trying to fill something that can't be filled.
Which is your favourite city?
New York, although everybody probably says New York, don't they? I've gone out there to work, and I've gone to hang out with great friends. It always energises me. You come away going, 'YES! I can do anything! I can take over the world!' For a tiny little island, it's quite intoxicating.
Describe your favourite view
Looking out over West Kerry, with the sun setting, or rising. The thing about Kerry is it has a micro-climate, so your iPhone weather app is no use whatsoever. Totally inaccurate. You just watch the weather approach from the Atlantic and see the rain coming. It's quite elemental, and I'm very attracted to that.
What do you pack first?
I'm a big music fan, so I always take this portable speaker I have called a UE Boom. It's a fantastic little device, it's waterproof and it connects with your phone via Bluetooth. And then I throw in my ukulele, too.
Describe a memory from a childhood holiday
We used to go camping in France a lot, which is where I learned to play table tennis. I'm terrible at other sports, but I'm good at ping-pong. I have very fond memories of driving around from campsite to campsite with all of us in the back of the car. At one point there were four of us kids in the back, plus a baby seat, my granny, and mum and dad in the front. I don't know how we did it, but you don't remember the fights. You just remember the fun.
Describe a holiday disaster
Funnily enough, trying to replicate those French trips with my own children, but they were far too young. We went camping and I thought I was highly organised, but we arrived at the campsite and I realised I hadn't packed the mattress pump. So I wandered around the campsite trying to talk French to all these sophisticated European campers, asking for a pump. The children were so small they ended up sleeping on us, and sweating on us… we left after two days and went to a hotel.
Which is the smartest hotel you've ever stayed in?
The Park Hyatt in Tokyo, the one from Lost in Translation. It's sensationally cool. That bar that overlooks Tokyo? It's like being in a spaceship. And the service is phenomenal. I've stayed there a couple of times and it's pure luxury.
Confess to one thing you've taken from a hotel room
I stayed in the Liam Neeson Suite at the Fitzpatrick Grand Central Hotel in New York, and I took a Liam Neeson dressing gown. I told Liam, which I think he appreciated, although he's significantly taller than me, and I looked like an Ewok in it.
Who is the most interesting person you've met on your travels?
I got into an argument on an airplane with one of the CEOs of Shell after a massive oil spill. It was interesting, because he was very succinctly defending Shell, and I was obviously attacking, but it went on and on and we left as friends. We would never agree with each other, but he was a very bright man, and it was an engaging conversation. I don't think I learnt anything, but it certainly made the plane ride shorter.
Which foreign phrase do you use most often?
I used to be able to speak French, but not now. I can conjugate verbs, but I've forgotten the vocabulary. So it's probably 'Slán', which is goodbye in Irish.
What's your guilty pleasure?
I love waterslides. Blackpool, Benidorm, I don't care - if there's a slide, I'm there. And the higher the better, going down with my kids, head first.
What would you most like to find in your mini-bar?
Salted almonds, where you're negating all the goodness of the almonds with the salt.
Most regrettable holiday souvenir?
I can't do it, I don't see the point. I think the memory should be in your head.
How do you relax?
Books and music. Recently I haven't had time to read, because I've been so feckin' busy, but on my last holiday I took Don Quixote. It's a massive tome, but it's very accessible and so funny. For me, no holiday is complete without nice music, a glass of wine and a good book.
Cillian Murphy stars in the second series of 'Peaky Blinders' on BBC2