Some days this job feels like a geography lesson. Dundalk sits right on the border between the Republic and Northern Ireland, which means my work has these weird little legal quirks that most people never think about.
Take last week. I had a client from Belfast who wanted to meet in my flat. Different jurisdiction means different rules about what exactly constitutes solicitation. North side its stricter. Here in the Republic its more relaxed. Not that Im saying anything definitive, just observing.
The border feels like this invisible line where suddenly everything shifts. Laws, accents, even the damn road signs change. Ive worked both sides and its always slightly surreal. One minute youre dealing with pounds sterling, next its euros. One minute PSNI jurisdiction, next its Garda.
My regulars know the drill. Some prefer meeting here because its simpler. Some prefer the anonymity of crossing over. Its all just logistics in the end.
Dundalk itself doesnt care. Border towns never do. We just get on with things.