AT a casual glance, it appeared to be the usual list from the revenue commissioners, naming and shaming the publicans, parish priests and assorted others who are conscientious objectors to paying their tax.

TO the casual observer it might have appeared that the women of Cork — and quite a few men — had suddenly and en masse become madly interested in the antics of a seemingly demented leader of the Labour Party.

THE very first thing the report of the Public Accounts Committee into the €14.8m handed over to the Punchestown horsy set did was to send in a ringer.

WHEN Justice Minister Michael McDowell gratuitously gave the nod to US security men to take target practice during their upcoming visit to Ireland, he probably did so with members of Sinn Féin in mind.

IT’S reassuring, isn’t it, to hear Taoiseach Bertie Ahern declare unequivocally that Ireland is an al-Qaida-free zone?

WE are still living in a country with a Tír na n-Óg attitude to time, at least in a legal context. Why else would one of the most evil men who was ever forced into an Irish courtroom serve just nine years of the 238 years he earned for his horrific crimes?

ONE night last week gangs of men went into Cliftonpark Avenue, Cliftondene Gardens and Ciftondene Crescent in North Belfast and attacked seven homes: four with bricks and paint bombs and three with petrol bombs.

MAYBE — just maybe — the country has the semblance of an opposition after all, as evinced by the climbdown by the Government on the controversial issue of electronic voting.

THERE are certain aspects of Irish politics that have a lot in common with that inane television programme I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! with the glaring exception that the latter has an unfathomable attraction for millions of television viewers.

IF you had a spare €200,000 lying around the bank account and thought it could make a handy little earner with a bit of prudent investment, what would you do with it?