Speaking to donegaldaily.com, the award-winning comic legend described it as a “privilege” to travel the county with his new show “Poot”.
He said: “It’s a profound county. It has healing in those mountains. I was here on tour two years ago and I thought that people have enough of a break from you so that you can come back and people trust you for a bit of devilment.
“They are marvellous people and it is a privilege to make it happen again.”
As part of the tour, Tommy makes a return trip to Dunlewey in the heart of the Gaeltacht which holds a special place for him as his daughter has recently started a Gaelscoil .
“We’d ask her every day, ‘so what Irish did you learn’ and she was a bit upset because she said she was the only one who wasn’t called ‘anseo’.
“And it’s lovely. She’s saying oh tá sé gaofar. And this day she learned how to bless herself and it was ‘in ainm an athair agus an leithris agus an …….”
So does he have any plans to learn Irish?
“I have Gaeilge briste. I was brought up with Leinster Irish and now I have broken Connemara Irish. But it’s lovely to hear all the little things she says. And we’re here living in Barna and you know that the people and the Irish here it’s the real thing,” he said.
His eight date tour around the county includes Ballybofey, Bundoran, Buncrana, Donegal Town, Dunlewey, Glenties and Letterkenny.
Born in Carndonagh, his family left when he was three and relocated to Africa before returning to Ireland .
He told how he grew up watching sit-coms on BBC and UTV including The Two Ronnies, Mind your Language and Dad’s Army.
“But I wasn’t allowed to watch Not The Nine O’Clock News. I suppose the grá for stand-up came after watching Billy Connolly. But stand-up in general,well, there’s an awful lot of dross and it’s painful,” he said.
The sometimes controversial comedian admitted that he had spent a while “saying and thinking the unsayable”.
“I don’t think I was controversial. I don’t think that’s part of the experience for people. I think controversy is created by what people read about me in the newspapers. What you read in 2008/9, the shows are a bit hard-edged. I’m in softer mood with a bit of divilment and wildness.”
His ‘Crooked Man’ DVD was recently awarded the best comedy dvd of the year and is flying off the shelves.
Tommy’s eight-day tour of Donegal kicks off this Wednesday, November 30 at the Balor Theatre in Ballybofey. HERE’S A FULL LINE-UP OF HIS DONEGAL TOUR:
Nov 30 – Balor Theatre, Ballybofey
Dec 1 – The Plaza, Buncrana
Dec 2 – Mount Errigal Hotel, Letterkenny
Dec 3 – Dunlewey Theatre, Dunlewey
Dec 4 – Abbey Hotel, Donegal
Dec 7 – An Grianan Theatre, Letterkenny
Dec 8 – Highlands Hotel, Glenties
Dec 9 – Great Northern Hotel, Bundoran
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