IF ENDA KENNY and Arsene Wenger ever decide to have a friendly kickabout they will surely have lots in common to talk about. 

If he tries for a long goodbye, or even no goodbye at all, he puts himself at the mercy of the next crisis, writes Fergus Finlay

Sinn Féin is at the edge of the centre. Whether it is Promised Land or quicksand remains to be seen, writes Gerard Howlin.

“All political lives, unless they are cut off in midstream at a happy juncture, end in failure, because that is the nature of politics and of human affairs.”

THOUGH Taoiseach Enda Kenny has won the latest chapter of Ireland’s long-running abortion debate by defeating the Fatal Foetal Abnormalities Bill in the Dáil, any feeling of satisfaction he may have derived from the outcome of that pyrrhic victory has been short-lived.

ENOCH POWELL, the staunchly Conservative British politician, once reflected that “all political lives, unless they are cut off in midstream at a happy juncture, end in failure”. Peter Robinson is about to become an honourable exception.

Hanif Kureishi, the English novelist and playwright of Pakistani extraction, is best known for acclaimed work like My Beautiful Laundrette, Intimacy and ‘The Buddha of Suburbia, which won the Whitbread First Novel Award in 1990. Frequently ambitious in terms of subject matter and exploring the boundaries of genre, new work by him is always eagerly anticipated.

An evening of holes, from beginning to end. 

The crowd is silent, expectant. All eyes are on the stage, on me. I take a breath and say it:

Russell Brand was exposed as a "messiah with feet of clay" in his Question Time clash with Nigel Farage, the Ukip leader has claimed.

Northern Ireland’s first minister Peter Robinson has made a public apology for any offence caused to Muslims by his defence of a controversial preacher.

Police in the North are investigating a potential hate crime after an evangelical Protestant preacher said the Muslim faith was "satanic".

“EVENTS, my dear boy, events.” Harold Macmillan’s truism recast as cliché, ranks with the often inaccurately quoted aphorism of Enoch Powell about all political careers ending in failure as the great barstool platitudes on politics.

Democracy Under Attack: How the Media distort policy and politics

Dáithí O Sé, pictured here with Texas Rose Kelly Gaetano, will introduce the Rose Of Tralee on RTÉ One on Monday and Tuesday.

YESTERDAY presidential hopeful Senator David Norris announced that he had engaged media advisers to help him secure a nomination to contest next year’s election.

ONE of the ragged comfort blankets wrapped around politicians dumped by the electorate, forced to resign or just fade into harmless obscurity is Enoch Powell’s crushing phrase “all political lives ... end in failure”.

FOR a brief moment last year it seemed Ian Paisley would defy Enoch Powell’s dictum that all political careers end in failure. At the grand old age of 81, he was at the height of his powers with prime ministers and presidents flattering him at every turn.

Jeffrey Donaldson has waited a long time for ministerial office.

Comedian Lenny Henry has accused the TV industry of racism.

THE North was in a virtual political vacuum throughout 1977, as there was no single recognised political leader within either the Nationalist or Unionist communities. The Dublin government had a twin policy designed primarily to ensure the British protected the rights of the minority in the North and encouraged agreement on a power-sharing basis.

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

Two Democratic Unionist MPs are to join Northern First Minister Ian Paisley as members of the Privy Council, it was announced today.

WHENEVER there is a referendum in the offing, commentators are presented with a dilemma as to how to refer to the plural of the word.

HOW does a Taoiseach shoot himself in the foot?

VETERAN actor John Hurt told yesterday how he believed Enoch Powell’s views on immigration were misunderstood.

Veteran actor John Hurt told today how he believed former British politician Enoch Powell’s views on immigration were misunderstood.

A right-wing British Conservative Party back-bencher has announced plans to quit Westminster and stand as a unionist candidate in next year’s Assembly elections in the North.

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