Corrigan went to his mother's wedding the following summer. Phillip paid for his ticket and off he went across the water to England.
"You might as well stay for the summer, mightn't you?" Vanessa asked sweetly over the phone.
"I thought gran might need some help in the pub," he responded hesitantly.
He could her her impatience through the line. "Oh, nonsense. She's never had any trouble with that. Now let me talk to your father."
He sighed and took the phone to his father, then beat a hasty retreat from the room, having no desire to listen in on the row that was in store.
In the end, he found himself stuck in London for the summer. "It's terrible," he said to Rory over the phone after the wedding. "They're off to the Riviera for two weeks on a honeymoon and I'm stuck here. What am I supposed to do in London?"
"Blowing up bridges doesn't sound half bad, does it?"
"Oh sure, and then you and Connor would be on me for leaving you out."
"We would. But it's a fine plan, isn't it now?" Rory replied mischievously.
"It is that. But even the English know better than to sell an Irishman explosives."
Rory scoffed. "Well then, you'll just have to find a nice, English girl to keep you company while you're there."
"Oh aye," Corrigan replied sarcastically, blushing a bit. "And I'll tell her I've a friend back in Ireland who's desperate to meet her."
"Gobshite."
"Eejit."
Corrigan never thought much more of London. Even after Phillip and Vanessa came back. He just bided his time until he could go home again.
"He's completely pissed, Cor," Rory called to tell him before he came home.
"Da?"
"Of course your da," Rory said scornfully. "Who else would I mean? Father O'Donnell?"
"Aye, well, that's nothing new, is it?" Corrigan responded in a cool tone of voice.
"Father O'Donnell being pissed?" a laugh.
"My da, arsehole."
"He is that," Rory responded lightly. "And he's a half-pissed arsehole that that. Probably still will be when you get back. Ma asked me to tell you to come to dinner with us."
"Tell her I will, and she's an angel," Corrigan said. "I'll see you in a few days.
He flew back a few days later, and Sive picked him up at Shannon. He had dinner with them that evening and then grabbed his bags to talk home, declining a ride. "It's just down the road. I can manage."
Brendan was, in fact, drunk when Corrigan made it home. He glowered at him when he walked inside. "Where have ye been?"
"At the Murphy's," he said as he put down his bag. "Sive invited me to dinner."
"And you couldn't even be bothered to tell me?"
Corrigan shook his head, "You're totally pissed, da," and he grabbed his things and walked upstairs.