Weekender

Daithi O Se’s Donegal

As any parent knows, it’s like a military mission going away,

so trips for me, Rita and Micheal Og, aka Ogie, are seldom. But when the car is eventually packed — with crap we’ll never need, but that’s a different article — there is one place we love to go, and that is to Harvey’s Point in Donegal.

At Harvey’s Point hotel, we’ll be met by one of Donegal’s finest, Noel Cunningham.

That’s one of the big draws for me

— the people of Donegal. The first time we came here, Rita asked me if the people of Donegal love me as much as Kerry loves Daniel O’Donnell, and I said that I can live in hope!

Saturday morning is usually spent by the water beside the hotel.

It’s one of the most peaceful places I’ve ever been. Skimming rocks with Ogie brings back great memories of my own youth. The Donegal coastline is very similar to home in Kerry, and we always take a spin around in the afternoon.

Our big Saturday-nights out these days finish at 7pm.

That’s when the boy goes to bed and, you know, that is perfect. Myself, Rita and Netflix — what a threesome! The last time we went away to Harvey’s Point, it was

Prison Break until 3am. All jokes aside, to say it was bliss would be an understatement.

We try and get in as much as we can on the Sunday morning,

before the three-and-a-half-hour drive home. And that’s after the breakfast you get in Harvey’s Point. Bring your fat pants, because you’ll need them. Here, the send-off comes in the same measure as the welcome. ‘Today with Maura & Daithi’ is now at the earlier time of 3.30pm, Monday-Friday, RTE One