IRISH duo Foster and Allen regaled the audience at Kilmarnock's Palace Theatre and the Gaiety Theatre in Ayr last week with a selection of classic songs spanning four decades.

Tony Allen (65) and Mick Foster (70) along with their band performed for two hours and interspersed some top drawer musical performances with some witty Celtic repartee which underlines exactly why the Irish and the Scots are right on the same wavelength.

It was their first appearance in Kilmarnock since 1989 and was well worth the wait.

The early part of the show featured A Bunch of Thyme, which was an Irish number one and entered the UK singles chart at number 18, which prompted a performance on Top of the Pop for which they had to fly back from America.

Foster quipped: "So there you go Top of the Pops is long gone and we are still here!"

Other highlights included the foot-stomping and toe-tapping The Wild Rover and the eternal favourite When Irish Eyes Are Smiling along with I Will Love You All My Life as well as A Mother's Loves A Blessing and Oh Dear! What Can the Matter Be?

The more recent Mrs Brown's Boys - a tribute to the award-winning TV show had them singing in the aisles.

They also performed Galway Girl and gave an apology that former X-Factor winner and now soap star Shayne Ward, who originally sang it with them couldn't join them again.

"He's working in a knicker factory in Coronation Street so couldn't be here," said Foster.

There were also quips from Foster about the audience being encouraged to buy their CD's at half-time and to be fair some did.

Other highlights included Gold & Silver Days and We Owe It All To You - dedicated to the fans.

It was a great night of entertainment from this seemingly ageless duo, who are celebrating 42 years together and are master craftsmen in their field