‘Grandpa died on February 25th 1997 at 7.15pm, aged 77. I was never able to talk to him on a man to man level because the last time I saw him I was only 13 years old. I carried his coffin out from the church in Castlebar, Ireland and watched as it was lowered into the ground on a windy hill next to a beautiful lake. I drank more Guiness than I knew how to and I drank every single one to him. I have him to thank for my father and I have my father to thank for me so I have to thank Grandpa too and I did on that windy hill on Thursday. I have his watch, which he apparently wanted me to have, and I have his toothbrush which I’m sure he never even thought I would want but I have it and I want to use it. He wanted to see my work so I sent him some photographs last week but they arrived too late. If he had seen them he might have given me his toothbrush and not his watch.’ 5\3\97