THE Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis is being held in Killarney over the weekend. The way the Government has been behaving in recent weeks there should be lots of excitement.

SINCE finishing university in the United States in the mid-1970s I have been struck repeatedly by our failure to learn from their mistakes.

THE question over whether or not the Colombia Three should be extradited continues to exercise minds. It could set a dangerous precedent.

THE final decommissioning of the IRA arms last weekend was not the first time the organisation has dumped its weapons.

PEOPLE have become particularly conscious of the rip-offs in Irish life since the Eddie Hobbs series on television.

GOAL’s John O’ Shea was on radio and television during the week decrying our Government’s gesture in allocating e1 million and sending some 30 members of the Irish defence forces to help with the relief efforts in New Orleans.

IF you were Eddie Hobbs, presenter of the Rip Off Republic series on RTÉ, wouldn’t you just love to have a Minister of State attack you, especially with a threadbare attack like that launched by Tim O’Malley this week.

Ryle Dwyer

ECONOMISTS are still optimistic about the Celtic Tiger, but they frequently get things spectacularly wrong. People should therefore beware.