SADLY, it would seem Minister for Mass Unemployment Mary Coughlan is determined to do for women power what she has already done for manpower in this country – reduce it greatly.

SADLY in recent years, there have been a number of high-profile criminal and civil court cases where certain sectors of the media and public have self-appointed themselves as judge and jury.

SADLY, though public sympathy is firmly on the side of the five Mayo landowners imprisoned for contempt of court, it is questionable if they will succeed in their appeal to be allowed out of jail for talks with Shell over the Corrib gas pipeline.

SADLY, despite the excellent community alert scheme run by Muintir na Tíre, elderly people living in remote areas can sometimes slip through the net of communal vigilance.