Jesse Griffiths and Nessa Ní Chasaide examine IMF conditionality and ask what can be done about its undue influence on policy.

AS part of its residency at the Everyman, Fishamble theatre company is staging Forgotten and Silent, two acclaimed plays written and performed by Pat Kinevane.

Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes was last night found to have doped cyclists and was subsequently handed a one-year suspended jail sentence in Madrid.

Madrid’s sporting press has been revelling in their side’s thumping 3-1 Copa del Rey semi-final second leg victory over Barcelona at the Camp Nou on Tuesday night, which sent Jose Mourinho’s side through to May’s final, while setting them up nicely for Wednesday’s Champions League last 16 second leg at Manchester United.

AS we stagger bruised and blinking into the cold financial dawn of 2013, it’s hard to be optimistic.

Lionel Messi is hoping to face Real Betis on Sunday after escaping a major injury scare last night.

AS holiday time eases the pressure on family routines, experts recommend taking the time to plan more family meals.

AS many as 50,000 people visited Tullamore yesterday to learn about Irish agriculture.

Spain’s 4-0 win over Ireland convinced a previously wavering Madrid media that La Roja were on track to win Euro 2012.

The clichés were flowing as Spanish observers rained on Ireland’s unexpectedly poor performance in losing 3-1 to Croatia in Sunday’s Euro 2012 Group C game.

AS in life, in death John McCarthy did things in his own inimitable style.

AS state agencies go, the Road Safety Authority has had remarkable success. The latest figures show its policies have been highly effective in reducing carnage on the roads — while 177 people were killed so far this year, it is a welcome change from the appalling death toll of 640 in 1972.

AS Irish citizens face into a decade of belt-tightening, Friends First chief economist Jim Power wants the Government to proceed with plans for a strategic investment bank to help the SME sector finance job-creating expansion plans.

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola was determined to savour the moment after his side claimed a third successive Primera Division title last night.

AS we walked across the north Ibiza landscape, it was 29°C and even the lizards were seeking the shade.

Kaka believes his two goals in the 3-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao will do wonders for his confidence as he seeks to show doubting Real Madrid fans what he can really do after a season of disappointment.

AS the two men approached each other by the bandstand in a near deserted park at twilight, the scene was reminiscent of an old spy movie.

AS oil prices hit a two-year high of $119 per barrel due to the chaotic situation in the Middle East, fears continue that the price of fuel for Irish motorists could reach unprecedented levels within weeks.

AS we come to the end of the year, regrettably its difficult to be optimistic about 2011.

Jose Mourinho was delighted with the performances of his side’s fringe players in Real Madrid’s impressive 4-0 Champions League win over Ajax.

Spain striker Fernando Llorente described his side’s performance as “awful in every respect” after seeing the world champions crash to a comprehensive 4-0 friendly defeat at the hands of local rivals Portugal.

AS hundreds of schools await funding to move out of dilapidated and unsuitable buildings, it has emerged spending on primary schools alone is almost €50 million behind target.

AS last week’s tragedy in Donegal showed, Irish roads can be very dangerous places. They can be even more dangerous if some road users behave in a way that puts themselves and others in great danger.

AS many as 120,000 workers will quit the country over the next two years, driven out by the jobs crisis, a report out yesterday said.

AS the media were reporting here on the finding of the Saville Inquiry into the events in Derry on Bloody Sunday in January 1972, I was in the American Military Cemetery in Luxembourg, where 5,075 American soldiers and one American nurse were buried. All were victims of the Second World War.

AS EU citizens we all have a right to move freely within the 27 member states.

AS a holder of dual citizenship – Irish and American – I believe its time Irish lawmakers gave the vote to Irish citizens who live overseas?

Spain captain Iker Casillas insists his side will be “humble” and “prudent” heading into this summer’s World Cup despite being one of the favourites to win the tournament.

AS homes were in evacuated in Ennis during last November’s flooding, a flooding expert warned Clare County Council last November that a number of other housing estates below a certain level in the Ennis area “will almost certainly be in trouble and unlikely to be protectable” from flooding.

AS every Irish schoolboy, and schoolgirl, knows, the Burren is one of Europe’s most distinctive landscapes, with a plant life and heritage dating back 6,000 years.

Real Madrid captain Raul insists their Peace Cup semi-final defeat to Juventus is no cause for alarm and remains confident next season will be a successful one for the Spanish giants.

AS these pictures show, the festivals of all festivals at Glastonbury has come a long way from its humble beginnings as a left-field music show for hippies looking for peace and love on a remote dairy farm.

AS jobless numbers in the mid-west soared past 30,000 last month, an information day has been organised for the benefit of those who are out of work.

AS the roles of 20 Ministers of State come under more scrutiny, one of their rank faces a hectic 500km itinerary to Limerick next Monday when his schedule will include attending the blessing of a ladder.

AS business people and householders cleaned up after flash floods in Kenmare, damage in the Kerry town was said to run into tens of thousands of euro.

AS if anyone needed to be reminded, the country suffered its wettest summer for 50 years, according to figures released yesterday by the met service.

AS energy prices rise, eight wind farm sites around Co Limerick are lying idle due to bureaucratic wrangling, a government backbench TD claimed.

AS a result of various debates in Cork County Council and interviews with environmental health officials on the toxic dump scandal at Haulbowline in Cork Habour, I believe that in the interests of public safety, there is need for immediate action by pollution control officers to prevent this toxic pollution leaching into the sea.

AS US rock star Bruce Springsteen kicked off the summer festival season last night, revellers were warned they must not drive if they are drunk, hungover or sleep-deprived.

AS the former president of Mexico, Vicente Fox must carry considerable weight when he presents us with a far different perspective of current world trends than that of established commentators and politicians in the developed world (Irish Examiner, January 2).

AS hundreds of thousands of people have come to live in this country, tens of thousands of Irish people have been leaving it. Emigration has not ended. It just gets missed in the net figures we’ve taken as one of the soundest indicators of our economic boom.

AS a woman and a psychotherapist living and practising in Cork city, I wish to respond to your feature on prostitution (Irish Examiner, April 20).

AS the pressures of life intensify in Ireland today, growing numbers of people are turning to tranquillisers, sedatives and anti-depressant drugs for stress relief.

AS sites in Adare spiral to as much as €750,000, the price of a more permanent address in the picturesque Limerick village is set to drop dramatically from today.