Aim of state-of-the-nation addresses is to give people faith and confidence

I can’t address last night’s State of the Nation address by the Taoiseach, because it was broadcast too late for this column.

Not for the news pages, but we columnists have to file our thoughts a lot earlier than 10pm.

Today, of course, every radio programme that doesn’t major on music will carry mega commentary on what the Taoiseach said, where his eyebrows were when he said it, and the semiotic significance of the colour of the tie he wore while he was saying it.