Brighid McLaughlin: ‘To any woman thinking of marrying a man with stepchildren, my pal has only one word of advice – run’

‘Oh Biddy, sometimes I do get lonely,” says Munchie, swallowing the remains of her wine and wiping her mouth with a paper serviette. Now you’re the last person I’d ever suspect would get lonely, says I. We are sitting in the Dunnes Stores café in Cornelscourt. I haven’t seen Munchie in years.