My condolences, Steve.

Thing about chips is that in their homelands, they're made with particular breeds of potatoes which are floury rather than waxy. (My own favourites are Golden Wonder, which lead to the conceit of Ireland being called Golden Wonderland.)

Once you've got hold of the right spuds, to make your chips you either boil/steam them in their jackets and peel them, or if you're lazy you peel them then boil/steam them (sweeter if you steam them), them you chop them up while hot, and plunge them straight into the boiling oil in a basket, and take them out when golden. Real purists then put them back in for a second frying, but I've never gone that far.

To be really good they should be deep fried in animal fat over a charcoal flame. To be really, really good they should be accompanied by battered ray wings and a wedge of lemon, but there's only one place in Dublin (in Meath Street) where you can get ray wings now.