Just two weeks ago I told you here about a chance encounter in a car park, after a concert of Síle’s, with an old school mate of mine and his wife, Tony and Mary.
We hadn’t seen each other since 1964, a mere 46 years ago.

Síle and I went back with this tale to our friends Barry and Mary and there the world did another bit of shrinking.

From the name Barry recognised the couple, and that he had worked in the bank with Mary for about 15 years.

Once he mentioned Mary’s maiden name I immediately recognised her as a sister of a another buddy of mine from the sixties.

But it doesn’t end there.

Ray, another friend of Barry and Mary’s, called in on them shortly afterwards.

It’s a small world ! he said. “I was all through college with Tony and we lived for years in the same estate in Cork, my wife and Mary are great friends!”

The upshot of all this was that Barry and Mary gave a lunch party for all five of us yesterday it was an occasion of much nostalgia.

” Whatever happened to B****?” I asked, (I fellow I was sure was bound for the priesthood.)
“Well he got a terrific job in New York, discovered he was gay and now comes back to Cork every few years with his partner”

Discovering the ones who had since died, those who had divorced but mainly the ones who had done well for them selves and had become the leading citizens, the doctors, dentists, and the lawyers of Planet Cork.

A great time was had by all.

It’s great to be old.