Hi Guys,

Well it has been nearly two years since my last visit and over 9 years since I left my true heartland. Without sounding like a Dubliners song, Ireland will always be with me no matter where I am. There are not many things that I miss about Ireland, but I do miss the culture and the people. I used to hear this all the time from foreigners going on about how nice we all are and great the craic is. But it is not until I went away and than came back that I realised that this is totally true.

Although I have visited a few countries that I have really loved there is nothing like coming home. It is the mutual understanding from your fellow Irishman or woman that just makes it feel right. The Irish sense of humour or our amazing ability to be sarcastic regardless of the situation is something I have never experienced anywhere else. We as a nation tell it like it is and expect the same from others. This has caused me quite a bit of trouble with many an employer!

I don't want to sound like I am working for Board Failte but there is nothing on this great green earth like Ireland. Saying that though, I still can not see myself going back on a permanent basis. Obviously, I will want my kids born there or at least one of my sons - got to keep the Irish in the family name.

I wasn't going to visit Ireland as part of my trip but news that my Granddad had suffered a stroke made sure that I was going to visit. The news was very slow to come in. I think Nick, my bro, has a concern that as I am on the other side of the world he doesn't want to worry me unless it is really important. Either that or he is just lazy to tell me. I am leaning towards the first option, well that's what I hope anyway. I had planed to spend three days in Dublin. One to see my Granddad, one to organise my suit for my bro's wedding, and one to meet my new sister.

Nick and Lucia (my new sis) have just bought themselves a great flat near St. James Gate (that's near the Guiness Plant for those not in the know). Nick has become quite the handyman and is making loads of things from hand for the flat. Making stuff from hand seems to be a right of passage and a very dad thing. It is cool to see Nick doing all of this kind of stuff.He has even dirtied up his tools to make them look used! You know you are a real DIY expert when you have a specific piece of wood just for stirring paint. Not sure if nick is there yet. But I have to say That I am very impressed with what he has done.

Nick was to a certain point a lazy buyer. He most definitely gets it from dad. If you could buy it sooner and easier at double the price why go that bit further to get it cheaper. Convenience over economics you could call it. So you can imagine my surprise to see him taking on DIY. I am the opposite - if I can get it that bit cheaper than that is what I will do, although my laziness causes me to go for convenience more and more often now. It was always something that used to bug me. Why pay so much more when if you wait a couple of days you will get it so much cheaper.Nick was of the opinion that if he wants it, he wants it now, and if he can get it now why wait.

Anyway, to get back to the point. Nick and Lucia's first home is lovely and I am very proud of them both. Just to make the point clear, I am proud of them not because of their flat. Nick is an amazing person and I love him dearly. I am blessed to have him and I consider him one of the only people that I 100% trust and confide in. I may not know Lucia a huge amount but if Nick loves her so do I. She has done wonders for him and from what I have seen I am proud to call her family.

Family is one of those terms that changes as you get older. For me I have had a few families. Confused, let me explain. My original family was a pack of wolves that found me in the forest and raised me until Shere Khan came back. From there I had a crazy adventure with Bagheera and Baloo. At this point the Walsh clan laid claim to me for the next so many years.

It was when back in 1994 that I started to see my family differently. For about 18 months I lived with my Granddad and my aunt and uncle Geraldine and Stuart.I was no longer being treated as a child, although I still was. I was treated like an equal and thus expected to know, and do, what I should be doing and more importantly not doing. I guess I was always expected to know these things, and my folks did raise me to know these things. But it is different when you are treated as a child. You know what to do but as a kid you push the boundaries and try and get away with as much as possible.

The whole "I am only doing this because I love you" doesn't make sense to a kid. I recon if I went up to my mum on Christmas day and gave her a kick in the head it wouldn't have gone down to well. But, for all the punishments I received I probably would not have learnt from it if they just sat me down and explained what I did wrong. Mum was the emotional one and thus the one that handed out the physical punishments. Dad was more logical and very rarely lost his temper. However, I always preferred to get in trouble with mum than dad. Dad would hand out punishments that made prison look rosie and worst still he would not let you off them as time passed. Mum would shout and scream and beat but after a couple of days all would be back to normal. Anyway, that was my first family. They thought me right and wrong, crime and punishment. Obviously, we had the odd occasion of fun between beatings!! For all the good and bad times, they were our times and they have helped sculpt me into whom I am today.

When I left home in 1994 it was never the same again. My family became bigger, my granddad along with Geraldine and Stuart were now part of it.

When I moved to London in 1998 my friends became my family and my family became my friends. Just so you know, this is autobiography stuff here. In time you will have to pay for this kind of information!

Over the years my group of friends has changed and so has my family. Subsequent girlfriends have also brought in new family members, none of which have stayed - no surprise there. Now that Nick has gotten married my family has expanded again. It's a cycle don't you know.

Both family and friends are very important to me although there is a tier system. Just so I don't put anyone out I shall not divulge the tiers!

This started off as a postcard about my day and a half day visit to Ireland and has morphed into a chapter for my autobiography.

Just to keep it short I shall burn through the postcard. Got to Ireland, bought some Irish stuff, saw my Granddad (he is much better and has given up the smokes), got fitted for my wedding suit, saw Nick and Lucia, had a pint of Guinness, missed an opportunity to get laid, the end.

Maybe that last paragraph is the way to go - nah this stuff may be long winded but my kids will love knowing this kinda stuff. T

o my kids, if you are reading this in ten years or so, getting laid is something your mother will explain!!

From here I leave for Paris via London, Em.