If Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos want to save their celebrity-driven Space Programs from sinking like submarines, they should forget about giving free trips to Katy Perry or ploughing their cash into reusable capsules.

No — if they want a guaranteed success story, just fly the Marty Party to the Moon.

Because the best-known face on RTÉ has already conquered Ireland with his parties and he’s making a good stab at Spain; so much so that the first 400 places at this year’s Marty Party in Calpe, a city 50 miles up the coast from Alicante, sold out in jig time.

And now they’ve come up with more places to try and satisfy the demand.

The whole country is probably familiar with the Marty Party by now, but there’s a difference when it goes on tour.

There are around a dozen acts with household-name headliners among them, and they play six night-time shows with a daily dose of poolside entertainment every afternoon as well.

There’s a strong Galway presence among the big names travelling to Spain, including Sean Keane, the Galway Tenors and Cherish the Ladies who also have strong roots in the west.

The Tumbling Paddies are making the trip, as are George Murphy, Tommy Fleming, accordion king Liam O’Connor, country stars Olivia Douglas, Trevor Loughrey and Patrick Roche, and from his home county of Clare, Karen McInerney.

Come the first week in October, all will descend on the four-star AR Diamente Beach and Spa Hotel, two minutes’ walk from the seafront in Calpe — and each night will see a different headliner with a full variety show in the ballroom.

The man himself will oversee proceedings every night, getting people to sing and tell stories and giving away prizes that include free flights — in other words, everything that made his Marty Parties in Ireland such a success, only this time in the sunny surrounds of the Costa Blanca.

Last year’s Marty Party in the tourist hotspot of Benalmadena was a huge success but Marty himself felt that they shouldn’t go to the same place twice.

So they thought about Barcelona and had a hotel sorted — only to be told they’d have to be out of the ballroom at 9pm.

“We’re only starting at that time,” he laughs — so they looked further south, past Valentia, and found Calpe.

“Even arriving into Calpe is stunning; you’ve going through these tunnels through mountains and then you arrive on the coast. The beach in fantastic and there’s a huge Promenade, loads of cafés and pubs — right in the heart of it,” says Marty.

“We’ll have sunshine, but temperature-wise it will be more comfortable — 20 to 24 degrees — so ideal from that point of view.”

The real secret to the success of the trip is that it’s a party from the time you arrive at the airport. Guests are flying from Shannon, Dublin, Cork, Knock and Belfast — but they’ll all have their Marty Party name badges, so they’ll know each other before they ever leave home soil.

“Even if you’re travelling alone, you won’t be alone for long. You’ll make new friends very quickly — particularly if you love dancing,” says Marty.

“I love it; I enjoy people and I’m looking forward to the week — and it’s getting to know them and they getting to know me — but also getting to know Sean Keane and Tommy Fleming and all on the trip.

“It’s more than having a show; it’s about company and sunshine and making friends — and doing whatever you like as well.”

He’s always loved his music — and given that he grew up in West Clare, traditional music, folk and ballads would be the foundation — although he admits that maybe his sporting passion might have narrowly won out.

“I’ve always been into music even if that’s not what I’m known for. When we had the pub in Quilty and inside in the pub playing would have been Willie Clancy and Junior Crehan and Paddy Galvin — and what was Marty doing?

“Playing ball out the back when I really should have been inside learning from some of the greatest traditional musicians of all time…in our own pub, sometimes even in the kitchen.

“Christy Moore worked in the bank in Miltown Malbay and he was inside singing songs in our place. You couldn’t make it up — and here was I playing ball up the field!” he says.

There was a waiting list when the original allocation of places sold out in record time, and the additional places are likely to sell out quickly as well.

The cost for the trip — from October 2 to 9 — is €1,485 per person sharing, and that includes the flights, transfers, seven nights Bed, Breakfast and Dinner accommodation and all of the shows, with Marty as MC throughout.

Further details are available from Deirdre Grant at Killester Travel, call (01) 8336935 or go to www.killestertravel.com.

Pictured: Marty Morrissey… off to Spain for a Marty Party.

Source: Connacht Tribune.