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

The High Court case against Cork City Council taken by a 59-year-old Cork man who was about to leave home for a holiday in Santa Ponza was settled out of court yesterday on undisclosed terms.

A 59-year-old Cork man who was about to leave home for a holiday in Santa Ponza slipped on the stairs of his local authority flat complex and yesterday he commenced a High Court case against Cork City Council.

Drama, music, comedy and family events will dominate the autumn/winter programme at The Everyman Theatre.

Today, you couldn’t escape the general feeling of despondency. And it was particularly notable when you went to the Irish team’s training camp.