EVEN though the evidence that too many Irish people, especially young people, are obese is unavoidable, some milestones along this road towards poor health, sedentary, unhappy lives still have the capacity to shock. Or at least they should have.

QUEEN Elizabeth’s visit to Ireland has been anticipated for some time and was always expected to take place during President McAleese’s time in office.

ONE of the very best opportunities we have to rebuild our economy is to make sure that we do all we can to make Ireland an attractive and satisfying destination for tourists, domestic or international.

THE internet has changed our world. It will be one of the tools that shapes our future too and is being used to bring the past to life as well.

WE can take little solace from yesterday’s announcement that the number of people on the dole has fallen for the second month in a row.

THE country needs a fillip but who would have thought it would come from cricket. Hats off to an Irish team that yesterday overcame England in one of the greatest one-day innings ever seen.

AN objective reading of yesterday’s review of the Department of Finance’s performance over the past decade, the kind the IMF, the ECB, prospective foreign investors and the international bankers will give it, suggests all caution and responsibility was knowingly thrown to the wind by Fianna Fáil taoisaigh, finance ministers and a majority of their cabinet colleagues to buy power.

WATER charges have been identified as a red-line issue by Labour as talks about forming a coalition with Fine Gael proceed.

AS the negotiations about forming a coalition government gather pace it is not too hard to see where compromise might be possible.

LAST spring gorse fires, many of them illegally set, raged on our mountains for weeks on end.