Taoiseach eager to steer clear of Brexit iceberg

Take one giant ship and a politician facing choppy waters and it was inevitable that yesterday’s fine weather would be clouded by the looming icebergs of Brexit, the Eighth Amendment referendum, and a certain gossiping minister looming ominously into view.

And so it was for Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who was one of the few people attending the picturesque christening of the MV Celine in sunny Dublin Port to peer over his sunglasses to check when the political weather was about to change.

In an event to underline how Ireland has put in place back-up plans to cope with Brexit, Mr Varadkar and other high-profile officials yesterday travelled to Dublin Port to climb aboard the MV Celine for its first official engagement.