My friends and Martin
I was in Galway for the week-end visiting friends. They live about 7 miles outside the city and on Saturday night we went to their local pub - about 5 minutes walk from their house. It's a nice enough place with great food and over dinner Norah commented about the quality of the steak she was eating, saying 'Martin Sheen thought the steaks here were great.' I was all - what the hell are ye talking about woman? - when she she says, 'did we not tell you about meeting him last year?' ' Eh no Norah - ye didnt'.
So the story is - last October, Martin Sheen (yes the Martin Sheen) arrived in Galway to start an Undergraduate Degree at University College Galway. I'd read in the paper earlier in the year that he planned to do a semester there (his mother is Irish and he's been over here quite a lot) but had forgotten about it (me - not him). So anyway one Sunday evening Norah and Eamonn head to the pub with a friend over visiting from the States and who should they spy sitting at the bar by himself, drinking tea and watching TV, only Martin Sheen. Eamon being a gregarious individual, wanders up to Martin, welcomes him to Galway and asks him how he's getting on in his studies. They chatted for a while and when Eamon invited him to join himself, Norah and friend, Martin took him up on the offer.
They spent the evening together, talking politics (he's been arrested more than 50 time for political activism) and family (talked about his children alot) and Martin was extremely gracious to the few people who came over to say 'hi' and ask for autographs. He drank tea while they were in the pub, explaining that he was 'an old drunk' that didn't drink anymore. After dinner (which my friends insisted on paying for as Martin was 'a poor student') they invited him back to their house and he readily accepted their invitation.
They had a lovely time - Eamon (who's a musician) played the piano, Norah sang (even did a duet with Martin) and they all chatted away til the wee small hours (no mention of Martin's TV or film career, strangely enough). Martin rang Emilio in Venice to see how his film 'Bobby' was being received at the film festival there, and then rang his wife (of 46 years) to tell her he was having a lovely evening being entertained by the locals (probably wanted to let her know where he was in case Norah and Eamon decided to tie him up and hold him for ransom). Norah said he was so nice, so ordinary it was hard to believe that he was a film/TV star
It was late when they finally sent him on his way and he thanked them profusely for their hospitality and said he hoped he'd be able to introduce them to his wife who was due over to join him shortly. They bumped into him again during his time in Galway and while they made tentative plans to meet up again it never came about. Still - they've got their story of the time they bought Martin Sheen his dinner and he sang Sentimental Journey with Norah :-)
And yes I'm very jealous that I didn't get to meet him too.