As an expression of powerlessness it was, well, pretty powerful. The exclusion from the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party of solo-run MEP Brian Crowley seems a pretty limp censure of someone who has given the most public two fingers to those who voted for him, his party leadership, and their authority.

THE TV3 documentary series The Rise and Fall of Fianna Fáil is probably the first of many broadcast and print reviews of the party that seeks to place political events in a historical context.

TABLE Mountain in South Africa, the Empire State Building in New York and the Sky Tower in Auckland are among the iconic buildings and attractions around the world which will “go green” this year to mark St Patrick’s Day.

THOUSANDS of primary school children will be failed by the education system unless the Government acts to stem problems relating to class sizes and teacher turn-over, it was claimed yesterday.