Name: Dolores Mary Eileen O'Riordan

Born: Limerick Maternity Hospital, September 6, 1971.

First memory: I can remember sitting on the windowsill looking out. It used to rain a lot in Ireland in the 70s, and I'd sit in front of the window. It was where I'd go when I got into trouble, when I lost my glasses. I started wearing them when I was 4 or 5 years old, so I'd sit on them or break them.

Biggest thrill as a child I went to see the movies for the first time when I was 7. It was The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams. I thought it was fantastic -- I was blown away because I'd never been to a cinema. It was so cool.

What was your nickname as a kid? My dad used to call me Delsey Delsey. My dad likes to make up wacky names. My dad called us all pet names -- he didn't call us by our first names.

Did you sit at the back or front of the class? I chose to sit at the back, but I was always put at the front. I liked to fool around and I wasn't interested in what was going on as far as the teacher was concerned. I was a bit of a jester in school.

First record bought: The Smiths, How Soon Is Now? It was a tape.

First gig attended: I went to see the Waterboys outside Limerick when I was 17. It was brilliant -- the original Waterboys when they were [at] their high point. It was fantastic to have seen them at their high peak.

First date: I was an early beginner -- I had a boyfriend when I was about 7. We lived in a housing estate that was constantly being developed, so there were these vacant metal containers sitting around the building site, and in the vacant containers, there was a long piece of rubber, so we made a swing out of it. And because it was rubber, it hurt your butt to sit on, so my boyfriend, his name was Michael from around the corner, he would sit on it and let me sit on his lap -- very romantic, when you're 7.

Last book read: Panic by Jeff Abbott -- it's about a guy who thinks his life is one way, but it's not. His life is nothing like what he thought it was. It's an absolutely fantastic read. I couldn't put the book down.

Last movie seen: I think it was the one with Jack Nicolson and Matt Damon -- The Departed. I saw it on the plane. That's the only time I get to read or see movies because I have kids. I thought it was absolutely fabulous. I was well impressed.

Favorite sandwich: I don't eat bread -- I gave it up years ago. But what I really like doing is getting iceberg lettuce and putting fillings in there -- use the lettuce as a wrap. If you get some grated onions, carrots and cucumber, with a little soy sauce, some fresh ginger and garlic -- it's delicious. It's really healthy and organic.

Favorite item of clothing I have to say my pajamas. I just love my jim-jams. They've got Winnie the Pooh [on them], cotton and really soft. They're really childish, kiddy jim-jams.

Have you ever been starstruck? At the MTV Awards in 1995. I had spent my whole life being infatuated with James Hetfield from Metallica. We performed, and afterwards we all went to this bar backstage. He was standing across the way, so I said to my husband, 'Oh my god there he is!' Perchance my band was standing right behind him, so that gave me a chance. Alanis Morrisette's song was on the radio, and he turned around and said "That chick! That sounds so like 'Zombie'!" It was great -- he actually talked to me. I was thinking "I am not worthy." I could not say a word.

Do you collect anything?: I like to collect seashells and leaves. I bring them home and put them under paper and color with a crayon. Having kids is really cool because you get to have all these people that are on the same page as you.

Previous jobs: I had some pretty sad ones. I worked in a chip shop when I was 17. It was called Crank's Corner, and we were serving all the drunks at 2 a.m., so you'd get a serious amount of verbal abuse. That was the hardest job I had, working in the chipper in my small town. It toughened you up.

Favorite time of day: Crack of dawn -- it's a brand new day, a clean slate. Unless I have a really bad hangover, it's great. If I'm sober I love to get up and go out for a walk, and listen to the birds waking up. It's a great time to find peace with yourself.

Hanging on my bedroom wall: Lots of mirrors. I've got a thing for mirrors. And there's a flat TV screen, and the most amazing, austere painting that my husband and I bought in Ontario. It's really weird, it's very Hitchcock, scene of the crime. It's this silhouette of black trees. I don't know if it's done with paint or charcoal. The water is red and the trees are black. It's very eerie.

Ideal vacation: It would be with my kids, my mother and my husband, and somewhere by the ocean. One of the most beautiful places I've ever been is Antigua. When you lay in bed, you'd open your eyes and there was no ceiling, because it's hot all year round. You wake up when the sun comes up, and there's no watches and no clocks. There's no time there.

What's something that surprises people about you? The fact that I'm very, very blind. I can't see anything. I'm hopeless without my glasses. When I'm on tour they have to make this massive set list -- forty pieces of paper, twenty feet long, with giant writing. They have to put very thick, luminous white tape on the edge of the stage otherwise I'd fall off the stage.

What television show are you obsessed with? "Coronation Street." It's a soap opera based in Manchester, England. It's the longest [running] show in Europe -- like 60 years. My grandmother watched it, my mother watches it, I watch it and now my daughters watch it. It's cute. It's one of those soap operas that stands up to time. When I come back after working, it's like mashed potatoes. It reminds me of my granny, when I was a kid.

Swear word you use too much: Shit. Like, "Oh shit."

If I could be any character from history or literature: John Lennon. He's kind of my idol.

This report is from MTV News.