WITH St Patrick’s Day just behind us and Easter fast approaching, it’s worth considering how we celebrate these festivals and what that says about the state we are in.

THERE is a story often told in our house about an Ireland we no longer recognise.

AT the time of writing it seems unlikely that the explicit new film, 9 Songs, will go mainstream in cinemas around Ireland when it’s released this Friday. It’s not for the want of publicity, though.

IN RECENT weeks rumour had it that in West Belfast you could buy a £20 Northern Bank note for £1.

PLEASE jog my memory. What exactly did Martin Cullen not do wrong? Was it his suggestion to the Office of Public Works that they hire one of his political supporters, Monica Leech?

“I WAS only ever wrong once,” goes the favourite joke of a friend of mine. “It happened once when I thought I was wrong, but I was actually right!”

I HAVE been thinking lately about a tragedy that occurred a few months ago where I come from.

WORDS are left impotent by a tragedy such as has unfolded in southern Asia over the past week. The sheer scale of the devastation wrought and the number of people killed cripples the imagination.

ANOTHER year, another European treaty. But the people of Europe, to judge by last June’s Euro elections, have never been so disillusioned with the European project. Eurosceptic parties made gains in Britain and Belgium.

HERE’S a question to ponder as December 25 approaches: for how long more will Christmas be celebrated in Europe? In the short term, these are exciting times to be European.