He woos Merkel, but Enda’s not quite Clint

It is the kind of fighting talk that could get a Taoiseach in trouble down the pub.

“I’m a hard grafter and, as some of them found out, they shouldn’t tangle with me too often, you know.”

All the Irish Examiner had asked was whether he thought he was a lucky general after Italy and Spain had done all the dirty work at the conference table and he collected the winnings — and there he was coming across like Clint Eastwood.