It was a lovely start to a Monday morning on an overcast if soft day in Dublin.

I got off the train at Pearse Station a little more than thirty minutes ago and saw a young high-vis jacketed attendant running towards me – but loking over my shoulder.

“Morning Gerry” (not his real name), he greeted the man not far behind me who had also alighted from the train.

Like an old friend he said, “Can I give you a hand” and ran up to him, grabbed his elbow and led him to the ticket barrier, seeing him safely through. Gerry was, you see, severely sight impaired.

This little incident certainly put a spring in my step and gave a new colour to the day – especially after my perusual of the doom and gloom in the morning headlines.