Sinn Féin have taken a brave step on an historic day for the North, says Political Editor Harry McGee.

FOR Sale. Going cheap. Soul of a political party. High mileage but runs like new. A few dents but structurally intact. Driver thrown in. Good for another five years. No tyre-kickers.

SO, Pat Rabbitte told John Bowman on Questions and Answers that he wouldn’t put Fianna Fáil back in Government.

IT started life as a once-off musical collaboration, an eclectic group of artists came together to record a legendary concept album.

THE political leader of the year is not Bertie Ahern. Sure, we learned a lot new about him this year but it wasn’t all good. He’s taken a few heavy dents in the past 12 months. For the first time going into an election, there will be no showroom shine.

Not too long ago, Ted Kennedy quoted a famous line from a very famous US Supreme Court jurist Oliver Wendell Holmes.

IN the space of 24 hours this week, two events highlighted the disturbing fault-line in attitudes to violence and gun crime in Irish society.

BERTIE AHERN’S moment of true political genius during this term of Government was realising he had to give Charlie McCreevy the flick.

AS a means of testing the public mood, opinion polls have been the only show in town. Until now that is.

PANTOMIME season is in full swing and clearly this year’s most spectacular (and longest running) show was the one that opened in Stormont yesterday.