It's hard to leave the comfort of my bed , reluctantly I roll out and quickly shower and dress. I check out and go in search of coffee.
The older I get the more coffee I need to function in the mornings . I see a future where I'll need espresso intravenously throughout the night to stand any chance of getting out the door in one piece with all my clothes on the right way round.
After topping up the caffeine levels I drive into Galway City to get some lunch and take advantage of some free wifi . There's a good vibe around Galway in the morning , still busy with tourists .
I fill the car with petrol and get on the road. I have a gig in Sligo tonight so need to put some miles under my belt as the day is quickly getting away from me .
I head north along the N17 , the road immortalised in The Saw Doctors 1989 song of the same name.
I pass through Tuam , Milltown , Claremorris , Tubbercurry . This is a route I would have travelled regularly a few years ago when driving trucks , and I'm shocked to see how many once thriving businesses have closed their doors , victims of the economic disaster of the recent past .
I arrive into Sligo around 5.30 pm . Sligo is a town I'm unfamiliar with , I've driven through it many many times but have never had time to see the town properly.
Firstly I need to find somewhere to lay my head for the night. I had planned on camping on nearby Rosses Point but the weather has been getting steadily worse as I travelled north and I have a sneaking suspicion my tent could be an entirely different shape when it escapes from the bag again . I search on various hotel websites but there's not many good deals to be had in Sligo town . Eventually I find a room in a hotel in nearby fishing village Mullaghmore.
22 km's north of Sligo , Mullaghmore is a very pretty village , with Benbulben looming in the background .
My hotel for the night is the Pier Head Hotel , a small hotel and bar on the waterfront.
It's quiet in the Pier tonight , the busy summer season coming to an end.
After a simple dinner of fresh plaice and potatoes I get ready for the gig. I check the address of the venue and am a little concerned that I can't find any advertisement for the comedy tonight.
I drive into Sligo and after doing a couple of laps of the one way system around the town I pull up outside the venue .
My heart starts to sink when I see no poster for comedy in the pub . My fears are confirmed and it turns out that the august show had been cancelled at the last minute .Disheartened and annoyed I return my hotel room in Mullaghmore .
I wake up early on Friday and have breakfast overlooking the harbour . My mood has improved greatly since the previous nights disappointment. Looking out across the harbour while I enjoyed my breakfast I realise how lucky I am to be able to do a trip like this .
The other reason for the dramatic improvement in my mood is the fact my wife will be joining me later on today to finish off the trip. After much tough negotiation during the week we agree that Susan will get the bus to Longford where I will collect her .
I head southeast from Sligo , picking up the N4 and passing through Carrick-on-Shannon . We keep in phone contact throughout the morning , Susan updating me on the reading and eating habits of her fellow passengers . Just under 2 hours later I drive through a very busy Longford town to the bus station.
Longford bus station will never win any prizes for its beauty but right now it's my favourite place on earth as my wife emerges from the terminal . After a suitably smoochy reunion we get on the road , destination Letterkenny.
I retrace my steps back up the N4 . We stop for coffee and a sandwich in Carrick-on-Shannon .
The coffee shop is a very trendy looking glass and steel structure , and whilst the coffee is delicious and strong , the food is indescribably bland . All the ingredients look fresh and inviting but they've somehow managed to remove all flavour , it doesn't taste bad , it just tastes of nothing.
We travel north back through Sligo and on into Donegal .
At Donegal town we pick up the N15 and carry on north through the Barnesmore Gap , the road snaking through a deep valley in the Bluestack Mountains.
We arrive in Letterkenny at around 6.30pm.
Letterkenny is the Largest town in Donegal , located on the River Swilly .
We check in to our Hotel , The Station House , located at the bottom of the very steep Main Street . It's getting late so we decide to order Pizza for dinner . Our pizza arrives quickly , roughly the size of a dustbin lid and of similar consistincey , we're really having a bad day on the food front!
I've been really looking forward to the gig in Letterkenny , it's a cabaret night called The Revelry . I will be the only comedian performing so this only heightens the excitement. I change into my suit and go over my set for the show .
We decide to walk the short distance to the venue . I reassure Susan that there's no need to bring an umbrella , the weather is fine .
A few short steps after leaving the hotel it starts to drizzle , oh dear.
The venue is part of a large pub / nightclub complex called Voodoo. We enter the pub and after climbing several stairs and crossing a maze of corridors we enter The Vintage Rooms , it's amazing.
The stage in the Vintage Rooms
The decor is kitsch vintage , gilt ceilings and velvet drapes all around , we love it.
We are greeted by our hosts for the night , Andrew and Taryn. A charming couple who make us feel instantly at home , showing us around the club and making sure we had everything we needed .
The Club fills up quickly . The crowd is a mix of ages , all dressed up to the nines . It feels like we've walk into a Vegas nightclub from the sixties , only the Donegal accents give it away .
I meet Donegal comedian Pauric Gallagher for the first time . Pauric had sent me a message earlier in the day wishing me luck for the gig , and proves to be just as friendly in person. Pauric introduces us to several people , all loyal patrons of The Revelry.
Andrew , or Maximum Homosapien as he's known as for the rest of the night will be our MC for the night. An extremely charismatic host , he takes to the stage in his vintage tux and opens with a song. A talented singer , he quickly silences the crowd with his singing and ends the song to a huge cheer.
The crowd suitably warmed up he introduces the first act , a young magician . She wows the crowd with sleight of hand and some stomach churning tricks involving swallowing balloons .
Our next act is young lady who sings a couple of Patsy Kline songs , to the delight of the crowd.
Finally it's my turn , Andrew gives me a very warm introduction and I take to the stage .
The next 25 minutes pass quickly . The audience are wonderful , generous with their laughter and applause . I leave the stage to applause , my hands shaking from adrenaline.
After a short break , Groom, the band for the night take to the stage . I catch up with local comedian and promoter Barry Mack who calls in to say hello.
As we have an early start in the morning Susan and I reluctantly decide to call it a night. I shake many hands on the way to the exit and bid farewell to Andrew and Taryn .
Susan and I agree to return to Letterkenny and The Revelry again in the future .
So after a long week my adventure in the west has come to an end . I've met some wonderful people and seen some beautiful parts of the country along the way , but now it's time to go home .
See you next time, thanks for reading.
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