FINE Gael leader Enda Kenny mounted an extraordinary attack on Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, yesterday, accusing him of being capable of forging clandestine deals with Sinn Féin to remain in power.

MY last personal meeting with former Taoiseach Charles Haughey was redolent of what might aptly be described in boxing parlance as the ‘sparring’ relationship between Ireland’s most controversial politician and the media.

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern last night defied his reputation for indecision by moving swiftly to expel Beverly Flynn from Fianna Fáil following her failed Supreme Court libel appeal.

THE OWNER of the Irish Independent, Dr Tony O’Reilly, denied having any responsibility for the Payback Time editorial on the front page of the newspaper on the day of the 1997 General Election.

Anthony O’Reilly, the chairman of eircom and Independent News and Media, has denied approaching former government minister Michael Lowry in relation to the competition for Ireland’s second mobile phone licence.

FORMER Fine Gael minister Sean Barrett told the Moriarty Tribunal yesterday he considered businessman David Austin, who handled a controversial $50,000 Telenor/Esat Telecom donation to the party, to be an honest man.

Alastair Campbell today confirmed his resignation as British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Director of Communications and Strategy, leaving within four to five weeks to be replaced by former Labour communications chief David Hill.

LIAM COSGRAVE only gave the Flood Tribunal full details of payments he received from Frank Dunlop during his political career earlier this week — more than three years after the information was first requested.

Simply Red star Mick Hucknall has ambitions to sit in the English House Of Lords.

A ROW has erupted at Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) over the political appointment of the new chairman of its governing body.

A SINN FÉIN TD who kept his medical card after being elected to the Dáil said yesterday he was in the process of getting private health insurance.

TONY O’REILLY was so embittered by his company’s failure to land the second mobile phone licence he took revenge on Fine Gael, the Moriarty Tribunal was told yesterday.

The Moriarty Tribunal has heard that Dr Tony O'Reilly was furious at not winning the second mobile phone licence.

The Labour spokesperson on the environment says Fianna Fail have abolished a grant that they promised to increase in 1997.

Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness today appeared to dismiss claims that the party was set to announce the sealing of an IRA arms dump in return for more concessions.

On a hot sunny morning the next MP for North Down was meeting supporters among the shoppers in Bangor’s weekly market.

The Unionist Party will contest 11 seats in the local Government elections, it was announced today.

Sinn Fein’s Assembly chief whip Alex Maskey is to contest South Belfast in the next General and Local Government Elections.