WHAT a sorry excuse for acknowledgement of such a gross injustice to the McBrearty family was uttered by our Justice Minister, Michael McDowell.

By Pat Brosnan

ONE could almost have sympathy for Education Minister Mary Hanafin when, with a helpless shrug, she pleaded that it was not possible to have every school bus fitted with seat belts by September.

APART from grand occasions, like a price increase, it’s an awesome sight to witness a gathering of a couple of hundred publicans spontaneously rise to their feet to give a standing ovation.

WE didn’t realise it, but there are two comedians in the White House. The other is Laura Bush.

THERE are not too many bosses who would pay the staff more than themselves, but then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is a rare one. In more senses than one.

IT’S hard to know which conclave was more important - the one in Rome which only had to decide a new Pope, or the one in Dublin to decide whether or not to open the most sacred temple in Ireland to the unconverted.

ANYBODY who happened to listen in to a particular RTÉ radio programme during the week would be forgiven for thinking they had come across another appeal for some Third World country hit by another disaster.