I had an abstract idea that Christmas existed beyond the county bounds, but how would it measure up?

We should be encouraging others to follow suit rather than begrudging the activity in the capital

The ideal would be to provide a community set-up, a place where the whole family can come together

Opportunities for face-to-face interaction with such officials appear at an all-time low

We all need to take responsibility for each other on the road

'Is this lack of open pubs a good thing? I didn’t see herds of mournful tourists roaming the city in search of drink while on my whistle-stop tour'

Nothing human is alien to me, says the poet. Not even matters in the capital. Regular readers of this column will appreciate that a template sourced in foreign fields can often be a fruitful starting point.

Needing such public spaces to throw people together would have stunned our grandparents

If ever the title of Venice of the North was up for grabs, it was at or about 6pm last Sunday in Cork. I don’t like to spark PTSD among readers — intentionally, at least — but even the mention of last weekend’s downpour may be triggering.

Kudos to begin with for an old friend of this column, Pat Poland, on completing his trilogy of histories of Cork Fire Brigade. His new book, Cork City Firefighters: A Proud Record.