In 2005, we visited Ireland. It was the first tour arranged entirely by band members and so we decided to keep it fairly close to home, despite the fact it was an “away” tour.
The first part of the tour was in Belfast. As well as looking around the city, we spent a lot of time rehearsing so that we would have plenty of music to entertain the crowds over our two weeks away!
After that, we moved on to Londonderry, where we did concerts in the city, in the seaside towns of Portstewart and Portrush, and at the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. We were lucky enough to have a guided tour at the rope bridge, and the whole band made it across the bridge to the island. We also found time to visit the Giant’s Causeway
Then we had a brief stay in Sligo (less than 24 hours!) but we still managed to fit in a concert there. Then on to Galway, where did a concert and played in a wonderful, lively Sunday morning service.
The final leg of our two-week tour was in Clontarf, Dublin. Here, we did concerts in Skerries (raising a substantial sum for their stained glass window project), in St. George & St. Thomas church (where we raised another large sum, this time for the Beslan Fund) and in St. Stephen’s Green bandstand. We also found time for some sightseeing in Dublin.
Another very successful and enjoyable tour!
