A good few years ago now, Sean Cantwell, the chief leader writer in the Irish Independent with whom I shared an office -- I was then the paper's literary editor -- asked me, would I mind if he said something personal? I said, not at all, thinking personal remarks were as good as any other kind and often better. He then regretted, on my behalf, my accent. "It might have been better if you spoke like Jack Charlton." I added: "It might also have helped if I had been a footballer!" Read More...