By Paul McElwee

FRESH from his trip to Áras an Uachtaráin, Donegal-born country singer Gary Gamble has spoken about the experience, calling it ‘one of the best of his life’.

Gary was one of a number of Irish country music stars, including Tyrone crooners Hugo Duncan and Philomena Begley, invited to President Michael D Higgin’s Dublin residence for his final garden party of his presidency.

The guest list included friends and family of President Higgins along with a smattering of people from different industries.

Speaking after the experience, the Killybegs native said: “The garden party was absolutely amazing, definitely a wonderful experience. I took my dad down with me and we got ushered in around 5.30 to the Áras itself and were allowed to walk around and take a few pictures before being ushered into a large tent erected in the expansive grounds behind the building where everyone got a picture with the president. We chatted briefly and I shook his hand, thanking him for my invitation.”

Describing his interactions with president Higgins, Gary revealed: “President Higgins is a lovely man; very humble, polite and down-to-earth. We talked about how he would have gone to different ballrooms in his younger years and experienced music from the showband era and his affinity with the Irish country music scene.”

With the food and wine flowing, Gary and his dad spent the evening enjoying the music and the banter with all the other guests.

However, he wasn’t just there to relax; there was singing to be done.

“I just had to get up and sing; after all the President invited me. I wasn’t sure if I could get up or not but the guy who looks after the music said, ‘Gary that’s what you’re here for and it’s the President and you only get one chance. You’ll regret it if you don’t go up!”

He added: “I feel deeply honoured to have been asked. Twenty years on the road capped off by this night with a bunch of lovely, friendly, hospitable, warm people. Dad said ‘Not many people from our part of the world can say we sang for the President’ and he’s right.”