Bertie resolves to ‘work harder’ in New Year

THE Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, has promised to exercise more as he joins two thirds of the population in vowing to get fit in 2007.

As the clock struck 12 this morning, an estimated eight million resolutions were made by Irish people brimming with good intentions.

And the leader of the country was no exception: “I’m going to have to train a little harder, run more days than in 2006, work a bit harder, if that’s possible,” said Bertie Ahern.

In the Celtic Tiger economy, most Irish people want to be rich and thin, with losing wight and sorting out personal finances the top New Year’s resolutions.

According to a study by drinks group, Carpe Diem, 10% of us want to drink less in 2007.

Speaking of his hopes for the year ahead, sports broadcaster, Jimmy Magee said: “My only hope for 2007 is that it will lead me comfortably into 2008. I have my vices, but there is nothing left to give up.”

While pop diva Britney Spears admitted she will give up sex in the New Year, and TV presenter, Brian Ormond said he wants to find a girlfriend, some people have bigger ambitions.

GOAL chief executive John O’Shea said: “I hope that in 2007 the Government will recognise the folly of giving tax-payers’ money to the third world through corrupt Governments, I hope some Government finds the moral courage to send a peace enforcing army to Darfur to stop the genocide there. I hope the new Kerry manager persuades Maurice Fitzgerald to come back. I’d love to see him walk out in front of the Artane Boys band once more.

“On a more personal note, it would be a bit silly of me at this stage of the game to give anything up, but I think I’ll stay away from the wine and stick to the Beamish,” he added.

Pop manager, Louis Walsh said: “I’d like to win the next series of X Factor because they wouldn’t let me win the last one.”

TV3 entertainment presenter, Lorraine Keane said her resolution is the same as hundreds of mums around the country: “With a 12-month-old to look after, my resolution would be to get more sleep,” she said.

If the diet has gone out the window already, and you couldn’t resist spending instead of saving, fret not. About 5% of us will have given up on our resolutions already, and by this time next month, over two thirds will have been broken.