ONE of the surreal characters created by Myles na gCopaleen offered a service for those who wished to appear well-read but would rather play golf, go the pub or watch the footie.

The number of people on the Live Register of unemployed jumped by 26,700 during February, according to the latest figures released by the Central Statistics Office. The unemployment rate at the end of the month was 10.4%, but it is increasing daily.

While there is no longer any doubt about the harmful effects of tobacco, adults have a right to smoke it if they so desire. But society seeks to protect impressionable young people.

THERE was an air of inevitability about last evening’s announcement that we are to have an emergency budget before the end of the month.

IT might not have been the 200th birthday present he would have anticipated but Charles Darwin, who did so much to help us understand natural evolution, would have been pleased to see that the macabre freak show that passes for the biggest dog show in the world has had to mend its ways in the face of huge public and peer criticism.

IT may be a case of any port in a storm but in these spectacular times we’ll take any slip of good news where we can find it.

MEMBERS of Mitchelstown credit union will wonder what is going on at the institution.

LET us hope Taoiseach Brian Cowen and his cabinet enjoyed the mother’s-home-cooking comfort afforded by their party’s weekend conference. It may be at least a year before they find themselves again embraced by such uncritical and unflappable supporters.

IF those held in connection with Friday’s €7 million tiger kidnapping raid on the Bank of Ireland are the gang responsible then the gardaí deserve all our thanks and congratulations.

YESTERDAY’S shocking jobs figures — with unemployment up 70% in a year — dominated economic news but, thankfully, it was not all doom and gloom.