For the first time in 15 years, I am no longer the proud holder of an annual Iarnród Éireann ticket.

I really admired him. He usually arrived before me. His eyes were covered with one of those eye covers you used to get on transatlantic flights. His earphones connected to a portable radio. His ticket on the table in front of him, so that the conductor would not have to wake him up. No doubt, he was a seasoned traveller. It was perfection. All angles covered. I was a novice trying to learn, trying to see what I could pick up from the regulars. We never exchanged a word. Never even said hello. Eight years later, we were waiting for the Dublin train at Limerick Junction, as always. For the first time ever, he came over to me and said ‘Hello, you have been traveling on this train for a long time, haven’t you?’ – ‘Yes, but not half as long as yourself’, I replied still in shock that this man, my daily travel companion for years, who had never even acknowledged my existence, all of a sudden was talking to me. He continued: ‘Well, to be honest, I had been on the train for just a few days when you turned up first. I got a promotion but had to move to Limerick for it. It was going to be just for a couple of years. Well, it took a bit longer, but today is my last day. And before leaving my life on the train behind, I wanted to say hello and goodbye to you.’ And that’s where we left it. That’s how I lost my friend, the traveller. I never had a chance to say good bye to the train, to the people I got to know, the conductors. For them, I just disappeared from the face of the earth…

Pádraig sat out twice today, another first, as far as I know. About four hours each time. It was amazing how well he managed these long hours without showing any significant signs of fatigue. He is training very well and his physical condition is getting better almost every day. His music therapy today involved tapping the Bodhrán. He closed and opened his hand, and moved his tongue out a bit – all on command.

Today, I got a phone call from RTE who will be reporting on the open letter we wrote (and two of his friends so skillfully translated into Irish) to Enda Kenny on one of their daily news programmes on RnaG at 5pm, Mon-Fri. They will also send it on to the Minister of Health, James Reilly, T.D., to see whether he has any comments.

Pancake Tuesday today. No music.