GREAT cities have a genius for throwing up characters and institutions, people and places that somehow manage to represent the quirks and foibles of the city.

Fergus Finlay

MARY HANAFIN hadn’t been Taoiseach long. She had only recently succeeded Brian Cowen, who took over from Bertie Ahern after the disastrous election of 2006.

I NEED to testify. I want to recant. I want to tell the minister it’s all that dreadful Fintan O’Toole’s fault.

WHAT would you do if someone gave you €13.6 billion? I know the standard answer — you’d probably add a few bob to it and pay your debts.

Fergus Finlay

WHEN the Dáil comes back from the summer recess, on September 28, its first order of business should be to nominate an Irish citizen or two for the Nobel Peace Prize.

WINSTON SMITH sat in the bar, alone as always, the glass of gin in his hand. The smells were familiar to him, the smells of boiled cabbage and damp.

DID you ever hear anyone say: “Great night last night. Fourteen pints and I was locked out of my head?”

DID you watch it last night, and are you hooked already? 'Haughey' is already promising to be the most successful documentary series ever produced by RTE, with the potential to attract the same kind of audience as a major drama.