ON the evening of Saturday, July 25 last, while having a meal in a hotel in west Cork, I heard playing in the background, the unmistakable sound of The Pogues’ yuletide classic Fairytale of New York.

IS something sinister happening to our summers? Climate change obeservers consistently mention “warmer, drier summers” for Ireland, yet if the last three are anything to go by this is way off the mark, at least in the short term. 2007 turned out to be the wettest summer in many parts of Ireland for 50 years. This followed a dry, warm spring.

IN the light of the current threat of industrial action by lower and middle salaried public servants, it’s worth bearing in mind that employers’ body IBEC, the social partner which has been so blatantly biased against public servants, is actually bankrolled by both the banks and, wait for it, public money from semi-state organisations... more than €1 million of it for 2007.

DURING these hard times when, after a decade of splurging by the Bertie Gang, we’re now expected to trim our wallets and expectations, all in the noble cause of patriotism, it might be timely to remind ourselves of Samuel Johnson’s adage regarding the calibre of those who take refuge in this notion.

ENVIRONMENT Minister John Gormley’s announcement that he intends to seek Unesco world heritage site status for the Burren and Clonmacnoise, while no doubt laudable, contrasts starkly with his Pontius Pilate act regarding that other unique environment — the Hill of Tara — ever since he entered government.