It was just after 15:00 when we arrived in Boyle, a small town in northern Roscommon. Here, the plan was to meet up with Bones' mum and her husband Larry (right).

As we entered The Moving Stairs via a novelty wooden ramp, our arrival was greeted by the rthymically infectious energy of traditional music. The local musicians were rehearsing for an RTE radio recording the following week and we had fortuitously stumbled upon their session. After having our pints of Guinness pulled to perfection by a ten year old girl (!) we settled into a snug corner. It wasn't long before Mairead and Larry arrived and we immediately began recounting stories of our eventful travels and the craic was great. Boris, however, was beginning to feel rather uncomfortable both with the time being lost from the schedule and the amount of drink being consumed. Within the space of an hour, three rounds - courtesy of Larry and the pub itself (or first free pints of the trip) - had been drained and the crew were beginning to look decidely pie-eyed.

With the promise of food, we readily accepted an invitation back to Larry's house where Mairead served up the most delicious curry with chips and garlic bread - what a feast! Nobody wanted to leave, but Boris emphasised the need to get back on the road. The stop in Roscommon had been fantastic fun, but at what cost? The crew were all steaming, Boris was very stressed and we had lost three hours off our journey with six counties still to visit. As we horsed up the road to Westport, none of us were sure whether we would be able to complete the mission...