Just booked in for Damo's gig on inisboffin island in august.should be a good one!!has anybody booked in yet??

Hi Pat!yeah,its going to be a long 3 days tho!thats serious training needed. We have never been to inisboffin so we are looking forward to it.by land and by boat to see damo again!!am hoping to hear some new stuff!

I've booked a cottage for a week, cant wait!!

Hi all-Its thurs 5th and we have been back about an hour from boffin. We actually went over on the same ferry as Damo so I feel like everytime I've turned round these past couple of days he has been JUST THERE. There will be much better detailed accounts of the event up on here soon I'm sure but briefly it was fantastic couple of days. Party island it should be named. I've been before and you never get to bed till the next day so you can imagine what it was like with Damo joining in the fun too! Everyone will tell you it was really an up close and personal time.The concert wasn't even the best bit. That was, as expected, packed out, loud and crazy. The atmosphere was great. We were a bit concerned about admission because it was full up very quickly but a fellow manc (sean the fiddler) sorted it so a big kiss to you Seany. In the same venue the next night Sean was doing another gig and Damo got up and and sang a few more songs-very quiet crowd and very chilled. His voice was beautiful and he was very 'relaxed'. Then the party continued at his table with more songs and then off down to Days (another bar) for more songs and tunes and drink...Eleanor Shanley was there singing beautifully. He was just in amongst all us punters like the normal guy he is. He spent the time drinking, socialising and swimming. He seems to know loads of people. My son was with a group of friends and half of them knew him well and the group Damo was with all had fine voices and they had some cracking songs between them. He even seemed to know me and my husband (I don't know whether that had something to do with sean knowing us). I ain't complaining though coz I got lots of loves and kisses and big thank yous. Jaysus I was made up. It's a lovely intimate island and you can't avoid bumping into the same people constantly so there was plenty of opportunities for stopping and chatting which my husband is very good at. The last night I managed to escape about 4ish but I believe it was about 7am when the drinks finished and my mate tells me he last saw Damo walking along the pier with some girls following. Party on. The night of the concert apparently the fun continued in Damo's room and he couldn't get people out till 7 again!! I believe there's more craic planned for tonight with Eleanor Shanley and Damo so we will surely be hearing all about it soon. So that's just a flavour of it for you. Night does turn into day on bof and no signal for phones so completely left to just enjoy.
I'm wrecked now so I'll wind me neck in. I'll be finishing off the summer here in Mayo which will seem very tame but we have said before we go back to Manchester, if the weather improves we might have another trip over and walk around the island properly and maybe not drink as much. (yeah right) There will be more news I'm sure as people start returning. I'm looking forward to reading their accounts too coz might jog my memory. Love to all. Patxx

O.k. Pat so let me get this straight. Are you telling us you spent the best part of two days and nights partying with Damien Dempsey, your favourite singer in the universe, that he hugged you, several times, sang for you and even went on a ferry trip with you? LOL!!!! You must be in your element!!!!!!!! OMG!!! Sounds like a mad couple of days! Delighted for you! Bet you will treasure those couple of days forever and have some great memories to keep! xxx

Hi girls, I've just had a good 12 hours sleep and feel ready to go again! Yes, yes,yes all that is true but it wasn't only me that damo was familiar with, he was like that with everybody. Honestly, just wait now till people start coming back and everyone will have a similar story to tell. The island is so dinky and where the drinking and socialising happens is only about half a mile radius so it was like being part of a huge family. I kept a low profile some of the time because my son and daughter were out and about and I wanted them to party without mam and dad always in their eyeline, but it was difficult not to bump into the same people all the time including our damo. Sean had already texted us a few days before to see if we were going so when we were in the pub having a cup of tea waiting for 1130 ferry and in walked Damo with his entourage well, I had a hot flush I can tell you. But then my husband disappears for a bit and comes back and tells me well, he knows Pat's here now. Of course, I thought he was messing but right enough, he called me by my first name and gave me a kiss. Well, what can you do eh? It helps that I am old enough to be his mam I suppose and he is very polite bloke. He couldn't surely remember us from that brief encounter in Manchester so Sean must have mentioned he had friends from manchester coming. Whatever, it was a lovely environment to be in for a couple of days and to be having little chats here and there with the man himself was the icing on the cake and yes he is very loveable and full of cuddles. I am sure he was in fine voice again last night. I can't wait to hear about it. If sean is reading this I bet he's having a good chuckle. Thanks again for getting us in Seany. Looking forward to hearing more....Patxxxx

Home now about 9 hours after my week on the Bofin and cannot sleep because my body is still kicked into Island time! A beautiful place with stunning scenery and the most hospitable hosts you will ever meet where on Wednesday night a bar closed at 3.30am to collect the empty glasses so it could reopen half an hour later...
Big thanks to Sean for inviting us down to the bar and to Damo for singing a few tunes particularly ' A rainy night in Soho ' for Michelle, it made her week.
I have to mention big Sean for his fascinating mastery of the fiddle and little Sean who brought tears to my wife's eyes with his beautiful rendition's on the pipe's...
Thanks Lads it was special....
By the way I owe you a packet of Tayto Damo

I think I will go to the next Inisboffin gig. Although........Damo could play Sherkin Island some time???!!! That way if I got fed up of all the drinking I could just swim off to the mainland and head back home. Just a thought. :)

Hi Shane and all, We have just returned after another two nights on the island and we absoutely loved it again What a fantastic place. Admittedly I was a bit preoccupied the last time but this time we were a lot more chilled and able to stop and savour it all. We were in Murrays last night and left about 3.15 but it went on to 6am. Some fantastic voices. What a place. Island life, bliss. I chatted to lots of people and they all enjoyed Damo -in fact he made quite an impression on certain ladies. The next big event is Mundy next Tuesday so they are gearing themselves up for another mad few days. After September though the place closes up so they have to make the most of it while they can. They are lovely, lovely people who can't do enough for you. It was very atmospheric walking home between showers in the early hours and the wind howling round us. Oooh spooky. I wasn't smiling on the ferry back today though when we were tossed all over the place, I'm obviously a landlubber or a landlover! Well, that's the health kick done for another while, I'm actually in pain from all the walking but loved every minute. Damo rocks. Patxxxxxx