Henry,I've just seen your earlier message regarding the Cork gig starting at 11pm.Can anybody tell me if it's realistic to get from Dublin to Galway in 3 hours? Is there a major road?

CLIFF: You could do it in 3 hours with a helicopter, seriously allow 4 hours, it's awful roads across the country. See the website www.theaa.co.uk and go to route planner. It allows you to key in where you're going to and from, it's excellent.Good Luck.

Thanks Vinny.I've managed to move my flight forward so I now arrive in Dublin at 5PM and have a rental car at 5.30.....so I SHOULD be OK! Galway here I come!!!! I can then bring Henry back to Dublin the next day, save him getting the coach and be there in time to meet the rest of you.Phew!!

Done that Vinny.It's 131 miles...virtually the same as my house to West Brom! Anybody reading this who is going from Dublin to Galway please let me know.If a Mr Macloone is going and needs a lift...OK then, but make sure you're ready I'm not waiting around.You can bring the flask and sanndwiches.

Three gigs in three nights combined with over 16 hours driving and two plane journeys - Cliff you seriously need help! It's taken me all morning to recover from seeing Ash last night, reminding me that age isn't just a number no matter how hard I've tried to convince myself otherwise this year. Will Doina have the divorce papers ready on your return?!

Cliff, believe Vinny it took us ages just to get from Derry to Omagh (about 30 miles) - in daylight too. Gijon would have been easier! However as you seem set on making this mad trip, would it not be more sensible for you and Henry to hire the car from Dublin airport for two days and go direct from Galway to Cork and meet us there? Looking on the map it seems crazy to come all the way back to Dublin. Henry would the rest of us all fit in the minibus if you and Cliff did this and could we change the minibus drivers to George and Alastair???

About last night - the one thing that strikes me about seeing other bands play is that you come away and you just KNOW how great The Undertones really are. This is in no way a bad reflection on Ash cos I thoroughly enjoyed the gig but a lot of the guitar riffs and song melodies became lost in the overall sound and IMO the songs just can't compete on the same level. Burn Baby Burn was bloody fantastic though - I did go a bit mental to that one!

Very weird going back to the Uni 22 years on since Joey and the boys. The line 'whole years are lost in the blink of an eye' during 'Sometimes' was very poignant (and how true)! Just wished my memory had served me better and I'd chosen to wear the sleeveless Termon t-shirt instead of the long-sleeved red arrows one – god it gets hot in there. Too squashed to be able to dance at times. I'm sure I wasn't the oldest person there but couldn't help looking around and thinking did I really look that young once! Gave me a kind of smugness though knowing I've seen the best band in the world and these kids weren't even born then to witness it. They obviously thought Ash were the bees-knees and quite rightly cos they know no better.

There was a nice touch during one song but I won't spoil it for Donald as I know he's going tonight – be interesting to see what he thinks overall. I'd give them 6 and a bit out of 10 (as opposed to 20 out of 10 for the Tones). Though pogoing with a load of male adolescents made a change from ……… think perhaps I'd better shut up now!

You've got a point there Lindsay.Although the roads from Galway to Cork dont look great.Whether we could change the drivers or not at this point I'm not sure.I'll talk to Henry.When you've followed a football team for 33 years that play 135 miles from where you live the travelling becomes less of an issue.As for the divorce....

Checked the postings tally recently Donald? Talked out by a girl - how you gonna live that one down!

My megamouth must be getting tired, outtalked by a girlie indeed.. Hopefully not too tired cos it plans on shouting for Teenage Kicks between every song at Ash tonight. There is no better band live than the Undertones. I have always thought that but thought part of it was the fact I hadnt seen them for 20 years have given me rose tinyed specs but after seeing them again they were even better than I remembered.I have made a tape up for the trip from Dublin you lucky people.

Glad my travel arrangements arent too complicated but I too will be rushing to get to the Olympia in time I reckon- my plane doesnt leave Newcastle til 6.30pm-hopefully there'll be no delays. Can anyone remeber what time the band came on stage there the last time? Hopefully I'll have time to check in and make it to O'Briens for a drink (I'll need it by then)before the band hit the stage.If I dont make it to the pub before are we going there afterwards?

Or will it be shut by then? and is that a daft question?

It'll be shut Jackie.Last year they came on after 11 I think so you'll be OK.

Just overlooked the whole domestic situation and had to conclude that Dublin is off for me(and so is The Moondogs in Belfast); I just cannot leave the house right now for a few days, I was so lookin forward to this trip and catch the Undertones live for the first time since 83.. I feel quite miserable right now, which is even an understatement