THERE was one pub I went into where I met a bloke who claimed to be the only man in Ireland who had a duck that drowned, said best selling author McCarthy.

These are the kind of stories Pete McCarthy stumbles across while obeying his rule of travelling - never walk past a bar with your name on it.

In his first book, McCarthy's Bar, Pete took his readers on a journey of discovery around Ireland. And for his second book, The Road to McCarthy, he is casting his net even further.

Leaving Cork and Belfast, he searches out Irish connections in Gibraltar, Morocco, New York, Tasmania, Monserratt, Montana and Alaska.

"I'm writing about the kind of experiences we all have," said Pete, who was once buried alive in the Australian Outback by a hippie called Graham.

"It has a genealogical theme but it is also about the stuff that happens to me," he said.

"When you are going to places like Alaska or Tasmania you have to plan where you're going, but I try not to have as much scheduled as possible.

"I'm a great believer in waiting to see what turns up by happy accident."

So, with his little notebook in hand, Pete McCarthy wandered across the globe looking for happy accidents and little pieces of Ireland.

"When I was in Montana I went to a place called Butte, a copper mining town in the mountains, but the mines have closed and there is loads of unemployment.

"It was there that I found a 99-year-old man who only spoke Gaelic."

As well as writing about his own experiences, the people he meets and the history of the land, Pete is also a travel writer, having worked for Travelog and Desperately Seeking Something.

"At one point I was in Tangiers and they warn you about street thieves who pose as guides. And foolishly I allowed this one guy to show me around.

"It was only when I was in one of the many dark back alleys and he started demanding money I thought 'what the hell am I doing here - I'm supposed to be an experienced traveller'."

Taking to the stage to talk about The Road To McCarthy comes naturally to Pete, a Perrier - nominated stand-up who compered at the Comedy Store.

And Huntingdon Hall should be much more relaxed than some of his previous gigs.

"I was in New York doing a gig at what turned out to be the Glasgow Celtic headquarters.

"They were throwing half pints of whiskey about and I came out on stage with an English accent. That was unbelievably scary."

The gig, at Huntingdon Hall, will be the first when the new book is out on sale.

"I'll be reading from the old book and reading from the new book and telling some background stories," said Pete.

"The show does change all the time but there are always a lot of laughs."

Pete McCarthy is at Huntingdon Hall on Wednesday, July 10 at 8pm.

Tickets £9 or concessions £8, from the box office on 01905 611427.

The Road to McCarthy is on sale on Thursday, July 4 and will be Radio Four's book of the week for the week starting Monday, August 5.