‘So,’ said Conor, ‘I haven’t had the chance to give you my own news. I’m being transferred to Mayo.’

‘Town or country?’

‘Village. A place called Aghaflesk.’

‘Never heard of it.’

‘Neither had I until a week ago. It’s not much bigger than Kilmitten.’

‘Fuck.’

‘That’s what I said. It’s not that I’m mad about Termonbeg. It’s a kip. But I was beginning to feel like it was my kip, if that makes sense. Oh, and I’ve split up with Angela too.’

‘Ah, hell, man, why didn’t you say? Here we are, two single men. We should be at the party trying to score with Lorraine Gilligan’s friends.’

Conor must have looked uneasy, for Tom quickly added, ‘I’m joking. I won’t be going near a Kilmitten woman again, I can tell you that for nothing.’

At the twenty-first, the band was galloping through ‘The Birdie Song’. ‘They must be off their heads next door,’ said Tom. ‘There’s something so naff about that song, it’s almost sinister.’ He took another gulp of his pint. ‘What happened with Angela? Was there a Cork version of Julian Heaney involved?’

‘Nah, it wasn’t like that.’ Conor explained how the break-up had been his decision. They’d had fun, but he couldn’t picture himself travelling down from Mayo to see her.

They had another pint. And a whiskey. A conga of party-goers snaked through the bar before being shooed out again. Tom spoke about his plans. He’d been looking into becoming a youth worker. ‘I want to make life easier for you guys,’ he said, with a laugh. ‘Give you fewer kids to arrest. The shame is, I never got around to telling Nina. I’d planned on sorting everything out before I spoke to her. And then it was too late.’

Conor could see the sense in Tom’s plan. He’d always been good with people. Even as a child, there’d been no old fellow too crabby for him, no young girl too sulky. He had a way about him, all right. ‘Would telling Nina have made any difference?’

Tom shrugged. ‘I can’t think about that now. I’ve done too much thinking as it is. Anyway, before I do anything else, I’m off on a trip. I’d planned to start in Europe, but it’s too cold at the minute. So, first stop India, next stop – who knows where?’

‘Oh.’

‘Don’t tell me you don’t approve either.’

‘I didn’t say that.’

‘That’s good because you should hear them at home. You’d swear I was boarding a coffin ship.’ He stood up. ‘Time for another.’ A grin took over his face. ‘Here’s a thought: why don’t you come too? Leave work and everything else behind? Have a proper adventure?’

‘I—’

‘Don’t say no straight away. Think about it.’