The untimely death of Marese Skehan, an Independent election candidate for the Tipperary constituency in the forthcoming election, prompts the question: Has any other candidate died on the campaign trail?

In New Orleans, there is a blank slab of concrete where a statue of American civil war general Robert E Lee stood for 133 years.

A new book detailing the 1,600 Gardaí who have played senior inter-county hurling, football and camogie was launched last night in Dublin.

Leo Varadkar became Ireland’s 14th different head of government earlier this month. Here, Ryle Dwyer assesses the legacies left behind by the Taoiseach’s predecessors.

Tim Pat Coogan’s new book on Michael Collins’ hit-squad during the War of Independence is entitled The Twelve Apostles. In fact, members of the squad never referred to themselves in that way, says Ryle Dwyer

After running into Gerry Adams in Sligo and having the unveiling of his supports for older people overshadowed by a group of people intent of doing away with old age altogether — namely Dublin criminals —Enda Kenny was in need of a nice, easy campaign stop.

It’s an image that has sparked outrage across the water, but children much closer to home were just as rehearsed in the gesture.

Following the release of a book on Kerry’s Republican dead last week, Ryle Dwyer relates how events on Dublin’s Vico Road in 1920 distorted The Kingdom’s history

Your classic photograph of An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, earlier this week is unfortunate from an historical point of view.

A set of buttons found in Michael Collins’s pocket the day he died at Béal na Bláth have sold at auction for more than €5,000.

A rogue’s gallery of 1940s Cork criminals and a lament for her revolutionary Irish lover by the wife of a British peer are among an eclectic gathering of memorabilia to be auctioned in Dublin this month.

There is an extraordinary contrast in the state papers just released between the paucity of investigative material in relation the various gubus (grotesque, unbelievable, bizarre, unprecedented events) of 1982 and the wealth of interesting material that the Department of Justice has released dealing with events in the 1930s and 1940s.

THE tension in Ireland over seizing Unionist hostages in the North was raised considerably on Feb 11, 1922, when the IRA in Clones, Co Monaghan, clashed with a group of 19 Ulster Special Constables (USC), travelling from Belfast to Enniskillen by rail.

May I endorse Ted Neville’s suggestion (Jun 19) of remembering the Irishmen and women who answered the Carlist appeal to join in coalition with General Franco and his fellow-mutineers in the Crusade to overthrow the Spanish Republic?

SCANNING through some old match programmes earlier this week, Donal McAnallen came across a single-sheet production from 1946.

FORMER US President Harry Truman once explained: “My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician. To tell the truth, there’s hardly any difference. I, for one, believe the piano player job to be much more honourable than current politicians.”

WITH the rumblings of Garglegate in Galway still continuing, we had the story of PJ Sheehan threatening the young garda outside Leinster House when she prevented him from driving his car because he had too much to drink.

NOT only was Senator Liam Twomey’s attack on Finance Minsiter Brian Lenihan out of order, it was also historically inaccurate and, as a student of history, I feel I should correct this.

AS you walk through the rows of monuments in Glasnevin cemetery the story of Ireland’s political, cultural and sporting past is everywhere.

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen and his party certainly did not distinguish themselves with the cabinet reshuffle during the week, but the contortions of Leo Varadkar helped to take some of the spotlight off the Government.

DEFENDING Willie O’Dea on Monday, Justice Minister Dermot Ahern said: “I suppose Fine Gael are returning to type. They’ve always tried to get the dirt on people. I think it is despicable, to be honest.” Of course, he undoubtedly meant it is despicable to make false accusations.

FINE GAEL senators have been likened to “turkeys voting for Christmas” after accepting party leader Enda Kenny’s decision to call for the abolition of the Seanad.

CRIMINAL activities, whether committed by common criminals or political ones, should be investigated by the gardaí.

IN a review of Brian Cowen’s first year as Taoiseach, RTÉ News mentioned he had to face an unprecedented series of crises and that none of his predecessors “ever had to deal with problems of such severity”.

Charlie McCreevy had the courage to move a ‘no confidence’ motion in Charlie Haughey’s leadership in October 1982, but the great majority in the parliamentary party did not have the vision, the guts or the integrity to support his motion, so Haughey survived.

THIS week Fine Gael has been remembering John A Costello and the 60th anniversary of the Fine Gael-led coalition government that came to power in February 1948.

THE Government was forced into a U-turn over the pay raises this week. Bertie Ahern was right to say they would get no credit for the gesture. They deserved none.

HAS the ghost of Eoin O’Duffy taken possession of Enda Kenny lately?

THE new president of the Garda Representative Association, John Egan, exhibited incredible insensitivity in essentially issuing a threat to his political bosses. “We are waiting in the long grass for them,” he warned.

BERTIE AHERN’S address to the United Nations this week attracted little international attention, which was hardly surprising.

OVER the past weekend Americans were commemorating Memorial Day, remembering those who were killed in all the wars.

THERE was some disquiet during the week over the disclosure that G2 (military intelligence) were keeping files on civilians like Anthony Coughlan, as well as the usual suspects who had previously had connections with subversive organisations.

THOSE who danced in the Orchid Ballroom of the former Devonshire Hotel in Bandon might now end up waltzing around their own apartment on the spot.

Macho Mayo Man. I want to be a Macho Mayo Man. The testosterone levels were high among the Blueshirts in The West at the weekend, resulting in a peculiar odour in the packed auditorium for Enda Kenny’s triumphant match on his near-enough-to-home turf.