A SINGLE super union representing all teachers should be a wonderful idea for anyone working in or using our educational system.

THE great efforts made by An Garda Síochána and two undercover agents from Britain’s Serious Organised Crime Agency to put aspirant gun runners Sean Callinan and Glen Geasley behind bars deserves all of our thanks and congratulations.

Plans for the co-location hospital in Cork raise many issues. The strongest local objections are from a purely planning perspective.

It WAS a great night for Ireland at the Oscars.

Controversy has arisen over a decision by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to notify the Newstalk Radio station that it will no longer furnish it with press releases, process inquiries, grant interviews, or advertise with the station. The HSE accuses the station of bullying junior clerical staff by putting them on air.

Percy French immortalised the unreliability of the West Clare Railway with his song, Are You Right There Michael? The railway company has long since gone, but the rail line and the unreliability remain.

ONCE again, yet again, anyone planning to use an Irish airport next week must put their plans on hold because of the prospect of a strike by two groups of workers.

IT’S Oscars weekend. The red carpets are being rolled out. The dresses will be let in — or out. Victory speeches are burning holes in the pockets of the hopeful nominees and gallons of champagne are on ice.

IF WE were to turn our back on every piece of art created by an artist who led a life that did not suit mainstream mores, we would limit human imagination and dismiss very many wonderful human achievements.

THE soldiers deployed today, as part of the UN-mandated operation EU for in Chad, will not be the first Irishmen to carry arms in that vast, war-torn region. Though this time they serve the ideal of peace rather than an empire-building Queen.