A well-known Dublin professional man vouches the truth of some amusing and pleasant experiences which he and a party of friends had within the last few days on the border, between Monaghan and Armagh. Having finished the business in a certain Free State town, they set out - armed with the necessary truptique and other precautions for Newry, where they duly arrived, having, in spite of keeping a careful look-out, completely failed to discover either a frontier station or a Customs officer anywhere along their route.
Wondering what had become of the border, the party decided to mention the matter to the local R.U.C. sergeant, who smilingly referred them to the Customs officer to pay the proper penalty and secure the necessary vouchers to enable them to get back into the Free State. Being told that the party hailed from Dublin, the Customs representative asked them why they left such a gay city for the cold North, and handed them the necessary "chit" for the return journey. So they set out for home, only to find that precautions were again unnecessary, since they did not see R.U.C., Civic Guard or Customs officer between Newry and Dublin. Part of the explanation is simple. The party has merely crossed the border by a "closed" road, so avoiding both a circuit of twenty miles and a Customs investigation. In spite of my friends' conviction that the border has been mislaid I have taken a careful note of the "closed" road for future use.
The Irish Times, November 5th, 1929.