THE State and its agents have built an impenetrable wall of silence around itself and its at-arms-length employees and their occasional failings.

When Rebekah Brooks resigned amid the greatest scandal in newspaper history, many thought that would be the end of her. They were wrong, writes Suzanne Harrington. 

YOU ARE set for a family trip to an open farm and your daughter wants to wear a frilly, ankle-length princess dress. You think she’ll look ridiculous and tell her so.

Leo Varadkar’s ‘coming out’ on radio brought back lots of memories for Caomhan Keane who dreams of a time when such a public ‘coming out’ is as dated as a debutantes ball

MÁIRIA Cahill’s case is not primarily about sexual abuse. It is about abuse, and abuse is about power. 

GETTING the children kitted out for school costs a small fortune. But budget supermarket, Aldi, retails a primary school uniform for less than €6.50.

The editor has given me the inch.

IF Bertie Ahern was the Teflon Taoiseach then his successor can look forward to being Skate-Rink Kenny if he persists with the attitude shown in his performance on mortgage interest rates.

STEVE WILLIAMS can now surely be described as the Teflon caddie after getting away with his latest regrettable outburst, this time concerning his former employer Tiger Woods.

All-Ireland Championship weighed in favour of losing teams? No way, says John Fogarty.

AS a huge ominous cloud gathers over Europe join me, fellow Reds, in a cheery rendition of “Welcome to my world”.

THE CHAMPIONSHIP is not supposed to be like this.

To what extent have the Mahon revelations damaged Bertie Ahern’s standing as leader, asks Political Editor Harry McGee.

Bertie Ahern has been the second longest head of government since the foundation of the State. Eamon de Valera was head of government for 16 years from 1932 until 1948, and also two other periods as taoiseach in the 1950s. The next longest serving taoiseach was Jack Lynch, whose two terms extended over almost nine years with a four-year break in between.

HAVING engulfed the nation, the political crisis over Taoiseach Bertie Ahern’s financial affairs has fizzled out like a damp squib.

ISSUES revolving around Bertie Ahern’s acceptance of money from business friends are not likely to be resolved by a mere five-minute statement by the Taoiseach and short debate in which party leaders are confined to speak within a similar timeframe.

AS his image rapidly shifts from Teflon Taoiseach to Rent-A-Bertie, so too have the explanations he’s left scattered behind him on the money trail.

For nearly an hour yesterday afternoon Noel Dempsey paced up and down the garden of the Sligo Park hotel with a mobile glued to his ear.

BERTIE wants a new €60 million jet from Santa.

On the subject of Teflon frying pans, it has been my experience that nothing sticks to them at first.