People: Charles Haughey, Conor Brady, The Farmers Journal and Brendan Dowling

POOR CHARLES HAUGHEY. There is now not a single writer on politics who is sympathetic to him. The estabblished political correspondents were at all times antagonistic to him but there were a few other writers on politics who were friendly. Bit by bit he has lost these allies until now the only perrson he has going for him is Prioncais MacAonghasa who writes the Gulliver column in The Sunday Press, but not under his own name. This anonymity allowed Prioncais to write a whole load of bilge recently on a media connspiracy to undermine Fianna Fail, masterminded by subversives. Typical of that kind of journalism, no names were mentioned and it was all inferred through innuendo.

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CONOR BRADY, editor of The Sunday Tribune, recently remarked on television in relation to a proposal to inntroduce longer prison sentences for violent crimes "I don't think I would go fully hook, line and sinker down that particular road". He was taught English by Gus Martin at Roscrea and UCD. He was taught political science by Maurice Manning.

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THE FARMERS JOURNAL has become one of the primary sources of "leaks" from the National Economic and Social Council. In its issue of early January it carries a full account on a report on agricultural incomes which the council is yet considering. Would the presence of farmers' representatives on the Council have any bearing on this, one wonders?

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THE OVERWORKED academic staff of Trinity College - they operate a 22 week year - were only charmed to learn of Michael O'Leary's announceement of three free school days in mid -January because of the snow. Realising immediately that this clearly applied to universities they hastily deferred the beginning of their second term . (Trinity College receives over £12m. per year from the taxpayer).

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FINE GAEL'S ADVISER on economic policy prior to the general election, Brendan Dowling, is expected to deliiver a scarrifying attack on the Governnment's handling of the economy at an economic workshop in Trinity College on Friday, January 22.

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THE SUSPENSION of publication of Status had nothing whatsoever to do with an announcement that was to appear in the January issue to the effect that if those married male poliiticians, well-known for their extraamarital activities did not shut their mouths in their bleatings of concern for the state of Irish marriage being threatened by the prospect of divorce then Status would publish the names and details of the activities of these men about town. Now Magill is a very different kind of publication. We wouldn't even think of such a base ploy but now that it's been mentioned .

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AT THE START of the GOAL mile in the Phoenix Park on Sunday January 3, Michael O'Hehir, who was doing a commentary on the run over the public broadcasting system enquiried of a competitor who was taking off the bottom of his tracksuit: "who do you think you are, Gay Byrne?".

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