Flags to the mast at every turn

NEVER mind the dreaded swine flu. There has been an outbreak of a new disease called “poster-itis” at the three-day national ploughing championships in lovely Kildare.

An infectious condition, it has attached itself to every hoarding and pole on or near the 600-acre site. It is being spread by political parties, farm bodies, business people and many of the 1,000 trade stand operators at the great rural fest.

But there is no public health warning required for this epidemic beyond the fact that they all seem to have one thing in common — black and amber or green and gold coloured backgrounds.