THEY are sick of the sight of us. One of the nonsenses talked about elections and politics is how disillusioned we the people are with our politicians.

TRYING to trace the national conversation, I spoke to some of the nation’s great listeners. The hosts of Ireland’s most tuned-into local radio talk programmes — the ones that outpace locally, the big names and stations nationally. One of those conversations was on air on Monday morning when I chatted with Joe Finnegan on Shannonside Radio.

THE fever of expectation that erupted on news of Gerry Adam’s arrest last Wednesday night among the southern political class will likely be disappointed for now.

AUSTERITY is now an orphan. Fianna Fáil and the Green Party begat it when in government. Fine Gael and Labour said the foundling child had to be fostered if we were to regain our self-respect and self-sufficiency.

MUCH has been written about ‘leaks’ from Cabinet and the quarrelsome discussion on water charges last week. But the big issue is not Cabinet incontinence. It is a national water system leaking 40% of its content into the ground between its source and our taps.

BETRAYAL is a universal theme commemorated today, Spy Wednesday. This is the liturgical memorial when, by tradition, Judas took 30 pieces of silver to betray Jesus, and entered into a pact he would live to regret, but could never escape — no matter that he would end up “throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple”.

THE significance of President Michael D Higgins dining in state at Windsor castle last night is that it is the culmination of British recognition of Irish independence. It is also a full recognition of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

THE appalling vista for Fine Gael is that the ultimate outcome of the debacle involving Alan Shatter, Martin Callinan and An Garda Síochána will be that it allows Sinn Féin to make its most significant, strategic electoral gains yet in the Republic. Compared to the rise of Sinn Féin, the reputational decline of Shatter is small stuff.

THE furore cumulating yesterday in the resignation of Garda Commissioner Callinan and the intensifying pressure now on the Minister for Justice, Alan Shatter, is important.

THERE is a great lusting for a moral economy.