How can anyone with an ounce of sense try and argue that Americans have the right to bear arms following the Las Vegas massacre? How stupid are these people?

You can find me the most slick, argumentative National Rifle Association spokesperson in the world and I will defy them to convince any normal person, not least a relative of anybody killed last week, that they are right.

Why would anybody want to keep a machine gun in their house, let alone a small arsenal of them? I wrote here before about shooting bullets at a driving range in America last year. I can see how there is a thrill in it if you were to think of it as a sort of sport. But I also expressed how weird it was to watch a child no older than 11 or 12 in the bay beside me being egged on by his grandparents as he shot at the human-shaped target 30 feet away. How is this normal?

They talk about defending themselves. Against who? Other people with the same access to guns as they do, that is who. Look for yourself at the statistics and you will see how multiples more people are killed by firearms in America than in all other developed countries, including their own neighbours Canada. Germany and Australia too. Why? Because you can’t buy guns in those countries with the ease you can in the USA. Simple really.

why should we care?

I feel I am wasting my time here and that there are some of you who think I am just another bleeding heart do-gooder. Fair enough. Anyway, it’s America. So why should we care? Well, how many of us go to America on business and on holidays? How many of us have friends and relations living there? And this is a country which elected Donald Trump as president.

Elected by many who believe in the right to bear arms among many other off the wall ideologies. Indeed, is it any wonder Donald Trump is the president of America.

Thank you for the book launch support

We had a big crowd in Copper Face Jacks the other night for the launch of my book Country Wide. Yes, that’s right, we launched the book in Coppers. And Marty Morrissey launched it. I take a bow. What a stroke. I knew the chance to meet Marty in Coppers would be a good way to draw a crowd! And draw a crowd we did. I have to say I was humbled by the turnout.

A packed house and so well organised by our hosts Cathal Jackson, the owner, and his staff at the popular Harcourt Street venue. There was a right mix of family, friends, Cavan natives, agricultural types, GAA folk and a handful from RTE among others. The Dublin manager Jim Gavin popped by. My good friends, musician Paddy Cole and Donegal GAA legend Martin McHugh were also there, along with the Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed, president of the ICMSA John Comer and TDs Jackie Cahill and Jack Chambers. As I said, “so this is what the afters of my funeral would look like”.

As he was leaving, Marty wanted to get away without a fuss, so he went out a fire exit door, thus avoiding the inevitable mobbing had he walked through the bowel of the huge disco. He really is that popular. Relieved to be getting away so handily, as the fire exit door opened and I waved him goodbye as he stepped out on the street, all I could here was a gang of women shouting, “Oh my God” Look its Marty Morrissey. Marty, Marty!”. He is some boy! And an all round gentleman too!