Whiskey, monkfish and Joyceaid the Taoiseach’s constitution

BEWARE of Greeks bearing gifts, but not Bertie Ahern in generous mood.

In an effort to make negotiations run more smoothly, the Taoiseach lavished European leaders with some custom-made presents to get in them in benevolent form for the final negotiations on the Constitution for Europe.

Vitally, considering the drawn-out task ahead of them, presidents and prime ministers got a bottle of Locke's eight-year-old single malt whiskey, from Kilbeggan in Co Westmeath believed to be the oldest licensed pot still distillery in the world.