A stranger walks into the pub in a small town in Ireland, and orders 3 Guinesses. The bartender looks at him quizzically, but serves him 3 pints. After he drank all three, he quietly departed.
The next night, and all the nights following, he comes in and does the same thing. After a week, the barkeep asks, "Friend, you been in here a week in a row. Where ya from, and can I ask why ye order three pints at a time?"
"Oh" the stranger replies. "I am new to this town, just moved here from Donegal. My name is Declan. As for the pints, I have two brothers. One is off to Australia, the other moved to Canada. We swore a solemn vow ere they left that, as long as we lived, whenever we had a pint, we would have one for all three."
"Ahh, 'tis a lovely gesture. Very well."
The man kept this up for years, and became a fixture in the new town. Then, years later, he went into the bar, and held up two fingers. "Two pints tonight, Liam."
The bar fell silent as they watched the man sip his two stouts. Finally, one of the other townsfolk came over, holding his hat behind his back, and stammered, "Declan, I am awfully sorry for your loss. I hope he didn't suffer."
Declan looked around, confused, and saw the whole pub staring at him woefully. "What do you mean, Tom?"
"Well, you always have three pints, one for you, one for your brother in Australia, one for your brother in Canada. Tonight, you're only havin' two. I am sorry that one of your brothers has passed on."
"Oh," Declan said brightening. "Me brothers are fine, never been better! It's just that I've given up beer for Lent!"
