Jimmy Cricket’s Ireland trip has a family theme

Jimmy with cousins , Adele and Pedar

Jimmy Cricket recently embarked on a mini-tour of the north of Ireland, which included shows in Belfast and Portrush, plus a hop over the border to the Donegal town of Ballybofey.

A  family theme prevailed for the first night of the tour at the Balor Arts Centre in Ballybofey as Jimmy’s cousins Orla, Adele and Pedar (pictured with the famous comedian above) went along to watch the show.

This is because  a strand of Jimmy’s extended family have always based in the town of Ballybofey and the neighbouring border town of Strabane – and he remembers fondly his visits as a child to his aunts and uncles who lived in this part of the country.

Belfast-born Jimmy was deeply impressed his three cousins were able to get to the show as the night before another one of his cousins from that region called Maria had celebrated her 50^th birthday in Sligo – a party he could not make due to work commitments.

For the next evening Jimmy – who lives in Rochdale, England – then popped back to Belfast to appear in a fundraiser at St Brigid’s Parish Hall, where the family connection continued as this concert was arranged by his nephew, Peter, to raise funds for the Gaelic Association.

At the show was his other nephew, Brendan, along with his two sons (pictured below with Jimmy and Peter).

And the family connection did not stop there as alongside Jimmy the concert also featured Peter’s talented daughter, Laura, and members of the junior drama and music society based within the parish.

The final night of the three-date tour was a wonderful visit to Portstewart Town Hall for an event with local man Michel Moore.

Jimmy, 71, said: “All in all, a lovely trip back home for me in such friendly circumstances.”

Jimmy with nephews Peter and Brendan, and the latter’s two sons