The Moone Boy effect

Thanks to his hit TV show, Chris O’Dowd has put Boyle, Co Roscommon, on the map. The comedian’s father Seán gives Conor Power the tour of the town.

FOR MANY years, the Roscommon town of Boyle has remained off many people’s radars as a tourist destination.

Not that there was ever anything wrong with Boyle. On the contrary — it’s an appealing and charming small town. It’s just that it was the kind of place you simply passed through or skirted around in order to get to somewhere else.