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In what was an extraordinary coincidence last week, I was back in Cookstown, Co Tyrone, for the second time in six days, having never been in the town before.
This time I was helping some farming women form a women in agriculture group and thanks to everyone for a great day.
I was a bit more familiar with the road home, but I was still struck by how invisible the border actually is between north and south.
I was also struck by the number of lorries that were moving back and forth. I know in the big scheme of things it matters not a whit to most of our EU partners what happens with the border, but it is something that should concern all of us on this island.
I didn’t get to see BBC Question Time when it aired last Thursday night, but having heard so many great accounts of how well Mairead McGuinness preformed, I watched it on YouTube.
And boy was she good. Clear, factual, witty and smart, she wiped the floor with the other politicians on the panel. I was proud to have her representing us.
While the difficulties of getting a satisfactory solution to the Irish border issue appear insurmountable, she said where there’s a political will, a way will be found.
Three possibilities currently exist. Britain secures a very good trade agreement with the EU, so border controls will be negligible.
A special mechanism that hasn’t been heard of yet will emerge. If neither of these are possible, then the ‘backstop’ option comes into play. This would require ‘regulatory alignment’ between north and south.
Having seemingly accepted this approach last December, Prime Minister Theresa May appeared to back away from the ‘backstop’ option when the legal text appeared a few weeks ago.
Needless to say, the DUP and its leader Arlene Foster rejected this option, saying it meant creating a border in the Irish Sea. So it’s a minefield.
In all the talk about Brexit, it’s vital that our Government and negotiation team keep sight of the east-west situation as well.
Britain is our largest trading partner, it’s where huge numbers of our people live, work and study. It’s the land bridge between ourselves and the rest of the EU.
So it is vital that we get a decent deal that will work for everyone. There is no margin, especially for Ireland, in insisting that Britain be treated harshly for voting to leave the EU.
It all reminds me of a quote from none other than Vladimir Lenin, who said: “There are decades where nothing happens and there are weeks when decades happen.”
That will certainly be the case as we approach the closing weeks of these once-in-a-lifetime negotiations.
Whatever about playing a winning game around the negotiating table, the Irish rugby team certainly brought home the bacon by beating England on Saturday to win only our third ever Grand Slam.
I turn into a nervous wreck watching any match, as I never believe we are far enough ahead to win – remember Limerick V Offaly hurley final of 1994.
I texted our son, Richard, about five minutes into the second half. “Are we going to win?” I asked. “Yes” was the unequivocal answer. If only Brexit was so easily predicted.
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