The plight of the Catholic Church in Ireland, beset by scandal, dwindling numbers, and rapid change in the surrounding culture, is an ironic juxtaposition — in terms of timing and context — with the Labour Party.

Robert Harvey examines the relatively new phenomenon in politics that has seen the rise of the supra-politician promising to save the day, despite their lack of political experience

RUMOURS that Guinness was planning to wind up operations at St James's Gate, Dublin, and move its headquarters to the Park Royal Brewery near London were finally killed off this week with the news that the Park Royal operation is being closed down instead.

THE re-partition plan presented to Ted Heath in July 1972 attracted more attention than any of the other documents released this week.