THE rousing cover picture of Michael Collins, fists clenched and in full flight, sets the tone of Great Irish Heroes, a lively collection of stories of men and women whose names have reverberated through the pages of history.

DESPITE being named in honour of a prominent Irish businessman, no Irish bank was deemed worthy of nomination for the latest international Bank of the Year Awards, doled out in London on Thursday night by the Banker magazine.

WHEN he launched his famous libel action in 1997, Jonathan Aitken was proud, haughty and self-righteous: “If it falls to me to start a fight to cut out the cancer of bent and twisted journalism in our country with the simple sword of truth and the trusty shield of British fair play, so be it.”