Bertie’s walk of shame after failing to answer questions

BERTIE AHERN hoped it would be the pathway to shelter. It more resembled the walk of shame.

After delivering his terse and deeply defensive response to the allegations swirling around him, the Taoiseach stepped down from the podium and walked the length of the Italian Room in Government Buildings in total silence.

The specially invited audience who had come to hear a speech on migrant workers sat in an embarrassed hush on one side of the room, while the media — barred from asking any questions — watched the slow, tension-filled exit from the other.