THE Ireland of 2007 is a very different Ireland to that of 1957 or even the Ireland of 1987.

THIS has been another bumper weekend for the GAA. Whatever else about the introduction of the “backdoor” system for the All-Ireland hurling and football championships — and it has its critics — it has proved to be a huge generator of additional revenue for the association.

Never has the need for Seanad reform been more apparent than following the appointment of the Taoiseach’s 11 nominations, which were largely an affront to representative democracy.

The gardaí have again issued what has become a regular bank holiday weekend warning of plans to be particularly active on the roads against speeding and drink driving.

The value of a good education was never more apparent than in the Celtic Tiger economy but a proper education is being denied to some by problems in the school transport system, according to the Children’s Ombudsman Emily Logan.

If the economy continues to grow as it did between 1991 and 2005, the trend would suggest that employment as a whole will increase but the extra jobs will be mainly in skilled occupations.

At the launch yesterday of the annual report of the Garda Complaints Board for 2006, the chairman, Gordon Holmes, called for a reappraisal of the licensing laws in light of the increase in public order offences taking place around the country after closing time. This has been partly responsible for growing number of complaints against the gardaí.

Cork GAA followers are understandably annoyed that the football and hurling All-Ireland quarters-finals involving the county have not been scheduled for the same day in Croke Park.

In May of this year the number of Irish people taking trips abroad increased by 61,800, or 9.2%, over the same month in 2006, according to figures released by the Central Statistics Office.

The large growth in the Irish economy during the last eight years has led to a significant increase in consumption of raw materials and energy.