HEARTIEST congratulations to three Irish swimmers who claimed the country’s first medals at the Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles. Perhaps they were spurred on by the words of encouragement for the Irish team from actor Colin Farrell and footballer Robbie Keane. It is heartening to see Irish celebrities taking such an interest the games.

THERE can be absolutely no doubt that an already questionable banking inquiry would have become a laughing stock in the eyes of the public if former Anglo Irish Bank chief executive David Drumm was allowed to tell his account, on his terms, by video link from the US, of its role in the country’s economic crash. As it turns out, both the inquiry’s own legal team and the Director of Public Prosecutions have advised it strongly against hearing his evidence.

IT pays to be nice. That maxim is partly responsible for Ryanair’s whopping profit of €245 million in the first quarter of the airline’s financial year. Having undergone a road to Damascus conversion to Mr Nice Guy from being a confrontational figure, the low fares airline boss Michael O’Leary cites “enhanced customer experience” as one of the key ingredients of the 25% profit leap.

THERE are growing perceptions that the banking inquiry is a dead duck. From its inception, the probe by politicians, most of whom lack financial expertise, has been viewed by the public with jaundiced eyes. 

ANYONE who believes that the trauma of neglect, or emotional, sexual, and physical abuse in childhood does not leave a life-changing mark on the victims should read today’s front-page report on the difficulties facing Connect, a national telephone counselling service.

RELIGIOUS fervour is an admirable quality, but when people put life and limb at risk in performing a pilgrimage it approaches fanaticism. Like it or not, that’s the only word to describe the actions of hundreds of people who climbed Croagh Patrick in Co Mayo yesterday.

When the Government unveiled its social housing strategy last November it announced its intention to accommodate everyone (90,000 households) on the Housing Waiting Lists by 2020.

What’s in a name?

There was something unseemly about the fact that Eamonn Lillis walked away from Wheatfield Prison last April €1.3m richer after serving five years of a seven-year sentence for killing his wife, Celine Cawley, at their home in Howth, north Dublin, in December 2008.

Gardaí are to get new powers to arrest suspects who breach bail conditions under the terms of a bill published yesterday.