THIS morning we can, not for the first or last time, look abroad to see the Irish perform at their very best.

WITH good news on the jobs front now as rare as hen’s teeth, it is especially heartening to see Google increase its already substantial investment in Ireland by setting up a new data centre in Dublin, while a Japanese-based company is creating 100 new jobs in Kerry.

THAT ex-Irish Nationwide chief executive Michael Fingleton has refused to return his €1 million bonus is an absolute disgrace.

HOURS after German Chancellor Angela Merkel secured the support of the country’s parliament for stronger eurozone bailout funding the scale of the far bigger challenges ahead took some of the gloss from her relatively minor but essential victory.

AS a metric of despair few are as absolute as homelessness figures.

Following the deadline for the nomination of presidential candidates at 12pm yesterday, we now know there will be seven candidates. The campaign can therefore begin in earnest.

The report by Safe Ireland, released yesterday, indicates a massive increase in the number of people seeking refuge from domestic violence.

Inevitably some wit is going to suggest that the EU Birds and Habitats Directives signed into law yesterday by Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan is for the birds.

Andrew Craig, an Irishman, is to lead the bid to salvage 200 tons of silver some 300 miles off the Irish coast in international waters.

The global economy has entered a dangerous new phase according to Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).