The 120 supporters of H-Blocks groups in counties Cavan and Monaghan who gathered in Clones on 30 September did not fit most people's image of those who make or break governments. They were roughhhewn dairy farmers, red-faced co-op workers, a couple of publicans, the odd teacher, some ex-prisoners. They were the hard core of the H-Block activists whose campaign last June outtpaced that of the major parties and secured hunger striker Kieran Doherty's election to the Dail. By Brian Trench

There would seem to be an obvious line of political descent from a speech by Charlie Haughey at the last Fianna Fail Ard Fheis through paragraph 7.16 of the Green Paper Develop- t ment for Full Employment to the reo ~ cently increased restrictions on dole~ claimants. But the appearances are de·~ ceptive: the Minister for Social Wellfare and his department officials cateegorically deny that they have issued any directive to labour exchanges requiring them to have the unemployed sign on more regularly or show more tangible evidence of their efforts to get work.

Welcome to the season W of Bing Crosby and Golden Greats. The old groaner's back, too with A Christmas Sing with Bing. Among the many others whose golden achievements are celebrated in collections of their best, or best-known, are two nearly as old as Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra. The recent hits of David Essex and Neil Diamond, of Wings and the Commodores, are featured in seasonal collections, too.

Last month's Trocaire seminar on relations between the EEC and the developing countries attended by several Brussels-based ambassadors, gave us a rare glimpse of Foreign Minister, Michael O'Kennedy, doing his statesman thing on the home patch. It was quite a treat. O'Kennedy had been asked to say what the government's stance would be on renegotiations of the Lome Convention between the EEC ~6 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries of the ACP. He didn't.

With five months still to run, the 1978 National Wage Agreement is looking a bit tired. And neither the susspension from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions of one union - the Autoomobile Union (AGEMOU) - which, by its own proud admission has breached the agreement many times over, nor the settlement of a spate of autumn strikes are likely to give it second wind.

How the Post office Workers Union came to reject a deal which has been in the making for ten years

An analysis of the politics of the Provisional Sinn Fein. By Brian Trench