The Earagail Arts Festival will we are sure go down as one of the highlights of the summer for us, the whole trip was great. Granted now getting there was a pain in the ass a big huge drive of some 5 or 6 hours the Fanzini machine was in full effect although the drive was taken on in what could only be described as mucky conditions. The rain doing its work once again cleaning the countryside and the road and pooling in puddles the size of small lakes in the road. We took a complete off course excursion to try to avoid Galway and Claregalway and went instead via the Galway countryside near Moineva on the way to Tuam, great east Galway countryside gently rolling land great stone walls weathered by the rain.
My favourite part of the drive is the section on the way to letterkenny when you enter Donegal there are all these open spaces, mountains, lakes and lots of the great outdoors in all its glory. We were based in the Radison SAS in letterkenny a modern Hotel on the outskirts of the town of letterkenny. Nice hotel. Great leisure center also. We had both brought our togs just in case.
The people involved in planning and organisation of this festival are exemplary an example of this was that we arrived to an information pack which contained programmes. Times and venues for our shows and clear consise directions to get to the locations. Thats what you want. Also a big thing for us was that it appears that the events that comprise this festival are spread out across the whole of the county. The aim is to bring the art to the people and boy do they. The programme is brilliant and diverse and spread out across the county. There were many highlights. We were due to perform in different venues one in Maghera near Dungloe famous for Mary and in Gweedore. The effect of this was that we got to travel the county and we felt that we reallly got to explore the place.

The venue for the first day was Maghera a small rural community clinging on to the Atlantic coast. For a change the weather was on our side. As is our custom we arrived outrageously early for the gig in order to set up in a relaxed way. We were palying in the community hall in the village rural idyllic. The people in the center were lovely and insisted on feeding us a hearty salad a mountain of food and homemade brown bread on the side.
After setting the show up in the morning we went to the football pitch that adjoins the community center and sprang the emergency football from its hiding place in the van. There followed a glorious session of football in the sun during which some wonderful world class goals were scored mainly due to the absence of a keeper. A couple of classic headers a few volleys and a lot of wides and miskicks and the odd extravagant celebration.
The crowds at the shows were really warm and receptive. We had a genuine concern at the start that the Italian accents by us would confuse the lilting Donegalwegians but we need not have worried. Actually we really like how the people talk up here although when the talk to us in irish it is like it is coming in from another planet. So no probs with the lingo then. Another feature of the shows here was the introduction of the 8foot ladder and unicycle section. I have been doing this section for a while with the five foot ladder and the uni but when the celing is high enough to allow it we should turn it up to eleven as the saying goes. It went well nobody died i was pleased it can be strange trying to put in a new section in to the show. The dynamics of the trick have changed also due to the extra height in that on the five foot you can really lean on the volunteer if you have to, that is not an option on the 8 foot uni and you only have a potentially floppy hand. I was happy enough with how it went and i even managed to pull a few laughs out of it. it will grow and develop. Two great shows and in between we even got to go down to the beach which in just over the hill and take a swim to wash away the shows as if our time in the sauna that morning was not enough.
After our second show it was decided that we would take in one of the other events at the festival something we rarely do as we are working or exhausted from travel and work. So we got in the van and did a lap of mount Earagail from where we were working to get to Downings beach which is far to the north of the county. A summer town like something from a postcard it certainly looked from where we were. The reason we were here was to attend a drive in movie. Again like our earlier shows and everything at the festival it was well organised with the high visibility jacketed event crew all over the event obviously they didnt need the high vis stuff at our show as we bring our own. Apart from the high vis stuff what a great idea to have a drive in on the beach in such a peachy spot. Whoever dreamed that one up deserves an award a promotion and a pay rise possibly all three, and definitely a thank you card.


Just check the photos out and you will see what a unique place this was to watch a movie drive in style. And the movie itself well it had to be Jaws classic the sound was perfect beamed in to the car via the FM. Great movie and Ronaldos first time to see it in gory technicolour. And when in one of the pivotal scenes to main character see the shark and says "we're going to need a bigger boat" all the cars assembled beeped. Chilling in the van on a beach checking out a classic movie as the sun goes down having done two cracking shows and had an idyllic day this is the life.
The second day we were in the An Chúirt hotel in Gweedore a lovely spot and i got a great shot of Ronaldo with Earagail in the background. Great crowds again and again the organisation was flawless. Just check how close we were able to park the van to the venue for unloading.

After all the work and the good vibes that we had with the organisers we really wanted to check in and properly express our gratitude for being so looked after but they were still in the thick making it happen. And us we were on our way to our next assignment Project Tullamore
Fair play to all involved.
More photos than usual due to the quality of the surroundings, the camera ate through batteries as well which did not help and by the end of the trip the van was full of spent batteries. Worth it though and just check those Jammy Fanzinis!