Bill Murray with Moira and James

A late call from our home golf course of Narin and Portnoo, now beautifully redesigned by Gill Hanse informed us that Bill Murray was coming to play the course and could we do a whiskey and gin tasting for him.

Does he want one we asked – oh yes could you be here at 12:30. Well in true Donegal fashion we turned up and everything was running kind of late, and did he want a tasting I’m not so sure. Bill was there for the golf and the craic so we offered to help that along.

The course rolled out all manner of things for Bill to celebrate Donegal with us and as he came off the course behind schedule but full of smiles he was inundated like the pied piper with people of all shapes and sizes, ages and enthusiasms all wanting an autograph, a sulfie, a hand shake…this I guess is Bill Murray’s GroundHog Day. His minders tried to move him into the club house but he, with an excess of good nature, smiled at every phone, signed books, sheets of paper, even foreheads as he made his way to the clubhouse for a more restrained version of a Donegal welcome.

The bus driver was escalating from anxious to frustrated and increasingly agitated. He had to get the whole group from us to Ballina (2 and a half hours away) and they were meant to be there for 3pm. They hadn’t had lunch yet or see the fiddle players, the weavers or have a tasting and the group didn’t get off the course till after 13:00.