‘I knew two windscreen wipers would come in handy’

Having argued his case for road safety with great ease, economy of effort and conviction — like the lawyer that he is — and banned me from picking him up from Cork airport in my “mobile skip,” my brother-in-law arrives in a hire car.

He parks it alongside my old Nissan. And there it rests, all shiny-shiny, engine thrumming with great ease, economy of effort and conviction: frankly, I can see his point.

“An elegant solution,” I say, tapping the bonnet.