"Go mbeidh síochán ar fud an domhain"

"Go mbeidh síochán ar fud an domhain" as they might say in Gaelic Irish. It's supposed to mean "May peace prevail in the world". I can pronounce it. Along with a few other words and phrases of the Irish language. And I'm trying really hard to learn it, but, it's not something that comes easy to me.

Is it not to much to ask - "Go mbeidh síochán ar fud an domhain" - is it? After all, just about every war and conflict ends in a handshake at some point. Just need that handshake before things get out of hand.

So tonight, as Father Christmas goes about his wonderful task, I replace the train/railway picture on the front of www.wsr.org.uk with the picture above, and the heading is a "seasonal" one. And why not!

And, do you know, when driving my youngest daughter to a friend's house way out in the country, we both saw Santa shining bright, large as life, in an otherwise darkened garden. "There he goes!", said I. "Yes, Dad", said my daughter, shaking her head from side to side in an understanding kind of way.