Poor old Colin, gunned down by the mighty power of Mudcat.

Since when did literature have to be correct to the second and precise latitude/longitude? It's called selection and creative licence. I don't think Laurie Lee, Norman Lewis, Paul Theroux et al would have got very far with certain Mudcatters.

Valid point about lack of proof-reading though, but no publisher seems to bother with it these days.      

I suppose Mr Irwin should really have gone to Geordieland. "CRACK" originated in Northern England and Scotland didn't it? Diarmaid Ó Muirithe in the Irish Times: "The constant Gaelicisation of the good old English-Scottish dialect word crack as craic sets my teeth on edge." Looks like the barman in Wexford was right.