Comedian Al Porter has shared his fond childhood memories of attending the Gaeltacht on Arranmore Island, and says the island remains a special destination for himself and his partner.
Attending the Gaeltacht on the island for six summers in a row, the Dublin native has wonderful memories of the island, staying with bean an tí Mary Sammy.
“It’s a peaceful ocean-air place, with the warmth of nostalgia for me,” he told the Sunday Independent.
The Blind Date presenter still enjoys visiting the island for weekend getaways with his boyfriend, saying their routine involves lighting the fire, getting a quick cuppa in, and then hitting Early’s Bar where he crosses his fingers that Daniel O’Donnell will make an appearance!
“Friday night on Arranmore goes into Saturday morning”, he says.
After hitting Early’s, Porter says you’d do a “mini pub crawl” before ending up at Smugglers Nite Club which he says is “the size of your nana’s front room.”
After all the pubs close for the night, it would be down to the beach for a sing-song as the sun rises (and the hangover slowly begins to make itself felt!)
Undeterred by the harsh Donegal winters, he says he always has to go for a dip on Saturdays, as per tradition, followed by a bag of chips and a bit of pool. He also performs stand up gigs as Gaeilge in the ceili hall!
On Sunday, he attends mass when visiting the island, in keeping with childhood traditions. After polishing off a fry, he’d then make his way back to Burtonport before driving back to Dublin.
Porter also revealed that he is adept at speaking our native tongue, saying “I love getting out my Irish and showing off!”
Featured image sourced through TV3’s Blind Date.
Tags:
