WERE it not for the visits of Queen Elizabeth II and US President Barack Obama to Ireland, 2011 would have been the bleakest of years, blighted by unemployment, mass emigration, harsh austerity measures, another hairshirt budget and a deep sense of crisis across the eurozone.

As the New Year dawns tomorrow, the Irish people are hanging on desperately to promises of better times ahead.

The number of overseas visitors to Ireland increased in 2011 for the first time in four years.

There is a frightening lack of confidence in our economic prospects, according to figures released by the Samaritans yesterday.

IS there no end to the gross excesses of secret golden handshakes and pension pots in the public service?

AS the remnants of Fianna Fáil strive to put clear water between their newfound, clean-cut party image and the toxic ethos of dig-outs and brown envelopes of the infamous Galway tent, Fine Gael and Labour risk being tarnished with the old FF brush.

IN too many ways this has been a grim year.

DESPITE considerable provocation, Irish people have not gone the way of the Greeks and taken to the streets to protest against impositions that are plainly unfair and morally indefensible.

THE greatest challenge facing this society and our Government is the soaring unemployment rate — 14.5% — and the fact that nearly half of the 448,600 people out of work have been unemployed for more than a year.

JOHN HAYES played his 212th and final game for Munster last night — 14 years after his first — bringing the curtain down on a stellar career that epitomised authenticity, commitment and decency.