I SPENT a good deal of last weekend at the Special Olympic Games in Limerick. And a glorious weekend it was. A wonderful, intimate, family-focused opening ceremony on Thursday night was followed by three days of intense competition in the variety of sports in which Special Olympic athletes compete. A lot of the Games was centred on the University of Limerick campus, and the place couldn’t have been more welcoming.

I HAVE tossed and turned at night since I heard about Tuam. Like many of us, I’ve found it impossible to come to terms with the horrifying, shaming discovery of hundreds of babies in an unmarked grave, robbed of their lives and even, in the end, of their identities.

WHERE did it all go wrong? The government elected with the largest majority in the history of the State hasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell of being re-elected.

AS someone who has admired Eamon Gilmore on a personal basis, and who regards him as a deeply honourable and committed politician, I believe he did the right thing yesterday afternoon.

I GOT some flak last week. Apparently in the column I wrote here I gave the impression that the local and European elections were largely irrelevant, certainly by comparison with some of the major political events that were beginning to unfold.

I SAID last week that it’s amazing how events can overshadow an election campaign. Last weekend, of course, it was the arrest of Sinn Féin party leader, Gerry Adams. But this past weekend’s events make you wonder whether we are living in a democracy at all.

TOMMY Gorman, RTÉ’s Northern Editor, usually says it best. On last Sunday night’s news, he said "it’s one more reminder of the unfinished business of the peace process". Or, to put it more crudely, they haven’t gone away, you know.

A LITTLE over 10 years ago a group of young Irish people were brought together to conduct an interview. It was the first time in Ireland’s history – as far as I know, the only time — that the advice of young people was sought on a major public appointment.

ONE thing really jarred with me about the State visit of President Michael D Higgins to Britain. Actually, there were a couple of things, but one of them didn’t occur until the interviews, as part of the massive coverage of the visit. Let me explain.

SOMEDAY, someone is going to write a play or a novel about Shattergate or Gardagate or Tapegate, or whatever the right nickname for the current controversy suits.