IT seems pointless, and probably wrong too, to try to establish a hierarchy of atrocity inflicted on this small island during the three decades of terror that preceded the Good Friday peace agreement.

Molly Sterling represents Ireland in the Eurovision semi-final on Thursday.

While it has been claimed that Queen Elizabeth is not “in the business of doing deals”, she is being widely credited with clinching the historic meeting with Sinn Féin.

THE day Earl Mountbatten of Burma died was “one of the darkest days in modern Irish history” and a day of shame, a 30th anniversary memorial service in Mullaghmore, Co Sligo, was told yesterday.