TGIF- a habit of a lifetime- down to the pub after school as teachers will and have a few pints at the celtic. I've become so used to the taste of Guiness here that I cant remember what a Dublinpint tastes like - I do remember when I first came saying " there is nothing like a pint in Dublin"

Some 15 years ago the brother in law rang me from Dublin and said " do you want to see your ma before she goes or are you comin' for the funeral? You'll have to be quick. The only travel I could organise at haste was a flight to Hong Kong from Auckland, thence to Frankfurt and then Aer Lingus to Dublin. In Auckland I saw that Jamieson's Whiskey was only $16 a bottle ( about 3 irish quid at that time)- I bought 6 bottles without knowing the limits. When I got on the plane in Frankfurt I discovered there were only two types of passengers on the plane - the Irish symphony orchestra and me. In Dublin they were whisked through customs and I was left to face 6 customs men nervously clutching my bag of 6 bottles.
" Do you have anything to declare?" asked the beefy red-faced Kerryman amongst them.
" Eh, I have 6 bottles of Jamiesons 'cos I didn't know...."
" What the fuck are you doing bringing Irish whisky into Ireland?"
" Well in Auckland it only cost me about 3 quid a bottle"
" What 3 quid, Jaysus lads lets hire a plane!" " and on yer bike you"

Me ma passed away 2 days after I returned- her only son that she hadnt seen for some 20 years. The Guiness tasted greta that year in Dublin