Dublin's Red Adair

The oil well had been on fire for over ten days. Nothing like it had ever been seen in Saudi Arabia. The world's experts had come, tried and failed to extinguish the blaze. Even Red Adair had had to admit defeat. What to do? Put up a reward! Yes, that was the answer.

So the emir offered twenty million dollars to anyone who could put out the fire and the world's press printed the news. For two days there were no takers and then suddenly, out of nowhere, over a huge sand hill came a jeep. Emerald green in colour, it was, bearing the logo 'Murphy's of Finglas'.

Sixty, maybe seventy, miles an hour the jeep hurtled towards the flames with a dozen red-faced Irishmen hanging on for dear life. Into the centre of the maelstrom raced the vehicle spilling the men on to the burning oil. Up and down they hopped, stamping fiercely with their Wellington boots until gradually, ever so gradually, the flames abated and the fire was snuffed out.

'Bravo, bravo,' bellowed the delighted emir. 'You have more than earned the twenty million dollars. Now tell me, what's the first thing you'll do with the money? Holidays, Rolls-Royces, houses, what?'

'Well,' said Murphy, 'the first thing we're going to do is get the brakes fixed on that jeep!'