THE High Court case for the extradition of Tim and Ethel Blake, of Cobh, for kidnapping their grandson Dylan is an outrage.

AT the opening of the Cleraun media conference in Dublin last Saturday, Communications Minister Noel Dempsey was forceful in criticising The Irish Times for breaking the story about the money given to Bertie Ahern.

AT the end of November Michael Collins had proposed a new oath to be attached to the draft treaty: “I... do solemnly swear to bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the Irish Free State as by law established and that I will be faithful to His Majesty King George in acknowledgment of the Association of Ireland in a common citizenship with Great Britain and the group of nations known as the British Commonwealth.”

IT’s all of half a century now since President John F Kennedy declared: “October 23, 1956, is a day that will live forever in the annals of free men and nations.

AN INTRIGUING aspect of the talks in St Andrews is that there has been no mention of resolving partition.

BERTIE Ahern said it was only “with the benefit of hindsight” that he realised his “misjudgement” in accepting money from friends.

SEAMUS MOYNIHAN, the former captain of the Kerry football team, announced his retirement from the sport this week. In the process, he set an example which could be followed to the benefit of the whole nation.

BALLYBUNION Golf Club has prospered in recent years largely because of the influence of Tom Watson who put it on the international map.

JOHN McIntyre was one of life’s misfits who got mixed up with the wrong crowd, became implicated in drugs and gun-running, and ended up being murdered in 1984.

DURING a series of radio interviews this week, Gerry Cameron, a former American police chief, described the current war on drugs as a complete failure.