Had anyone suggested on January 31, 2013, the day Barack Obama took America’s presidential oath for the second time that the billionaire developer cum television host Donald Trump — he’s worth $3.7bn — would be the next person asked to offer that loyalty to the American people and their constitution, they would have been, at the very least, ridiculed.

THE gods who order these things have a perverse sense of humour. 

IT’S a quarter of a century since the Ireland’s first windfarm was established at Bellacorrick in Mayo yet we do not have the kind of guidelines for these projects — or solar energy projects either — that inspires confidence or, more importantly, trust in our planning process.

THE conflict between individual liberties and measures needed to protect society are hardly ever resolved to universal satisfaction.

U2 seem to have weathered the tongue-in-cheek accusation that they have become the ultimate U2 tribute band by promising to revive 30-year Joshua Tree concerts next summer. 

THE divisive issue of school patronage is unlikely to lead to riots on the streets anytime soon but it is, nevertheless, symbolic of the friction generated when Ireland’s tectonic plates collide. 

WERE he alive, the extremely influential civil servant TK Whitaker, who died aged 100 just last week, would certainly have an opinion on the weekend assertion by HSE chief Tony O’Brien that we will need, over the next decade, to spend an extra €9bn on our health services to end hospital over-crowding.