An infrastructure of people, ideas, and places built up in better times has been ground down, writes Gerard Howlin

Ballinacourty survived a stern test on Saturday night in Dungarvan before eventually overcoming Adrmore (1-12 to 1-9) in a tense Waterford senior football championship clash.

Unlike many other recent political memoirs, this book pulls few punches and is an authentic transcription of the acuity, caustic manners and occasional bias of the man, writes Gerard Howlin

Seán Lemass: Democratic Dictator

ONCE again Sinn Féin has demonstrated its grasp of politics by capturing the presidential campaign with the story of itself.

THERE has been talk about cutting the size of the Dáil and abolishing the Seanad, but nobody seems to have suggested abolishing the Presidency, which is the single most expensive office. How much could be save by abolishing it?

SHORTLY before he died, according to his son Seán, Charlie Haughey said: “I never broke my word in politics.”

There is the salary of the president and her staff, the cost of the upkeep of the Áras and its staff, providing the president with a car, a driver, and a police escort car, as well as extravagant pensions for former presidents, and ultimately the cost of their state funerals.

FORMER president Dr Patrick Hillery worked in public life for four decades — serving not just as president for two terms, but as Ireland’s first European commissioner and a reforming minister in four government departments.

A CORK-BORN priest died in Augusta, Georgia, in the US after a car accident.

A senior Garda union today backed calls for an independent public inquiry into the murder of the first officer to die in the Republic during the Troubles.

CALLS for a public inquiry into the first garda officer killed in the Troubles were yesterday backed by the widow of slain Garda Jerry McCabe.

Calls for a public inquiry into the first garda officer killed in the Troubles were today backed by the widow of murdered garda Jerry McCabe.

EVERY so often a new movie sparks great interest in the period of the War of Independence. Growing up in the 1950s, I often heard stories about the Black and Tans but never from anyone who was actually involved.

YOUNGER viewers will no doubt find the TV series on Charles J Haughey interesting, and it will evoke memories for older people who can still remember the events.

FIANNA FÁIL is again shamelessly engaging in political prostitution. This time, the party is inviting people to pay €4,500 to join an exclusive club of party contributors.

GROWING up in the 1950s one often heard rantings from the pulpit about slave labour camps in atheistic Russia.

The Taoiseach has led tributes to former Fianna Fail minister Kevin Boland, who died yesterday.