Readers of The Irish Times business section in recent weeks will be familiar with the curious case of the 5,300 letters from Irish-based Standard Life shareholders that went missing in the post somewhere between Ireland and Britain.

The UK-listed insurer has been returning money to shareholders after selling its business in Canada for £2.2 billion last September. A huge number of letters from Irish shareholders to the company, informing it of their preferred method of receiving their windfall, went awry in the post, prompting Standard Life to ask An Post and the Royal Mail for an explanation. No sign of it yet.

Given that context, a chuckle went around The Irish Times business section last week when a copy of An Post's annual report arrived – delivered by hand. Best not to risk it, eh?