Until the late 19th century, any Joe Soap could be made a cardinal or pope. Leo XIII got a bit more stringent, and said that Joe Soap would at least have to be ordained Fr Joe Soap once he had been so appointed. Then John XXIII said that he'd have to be made a bishop as well – but this after he had been nominated as cardinal or pope.
It is a deciduous tree mainly planted for the shade it provides in cities, on the streets and in parks, and its resistance to heavy pollution levels – some experts claim it actually absorbs CO2 gases, but it is difficult to confirm this. At any rate its maple-shaped leaves (acerifolia) are shiny, causing the rain to run off them and so they don't absorb the pollution.
The media and the Garda make uneasy bedfellows, but building a strong relationship is crucial, writes Conor Brady
In a break in the endless shaking of hands, we checked out the shoes. The men in the family were a credit, it has to be said, and myself less so. My daughter was philosophical about her cowboy boots, proclaiming them "shiny enough". She had patterned dark tights and a black skirt bought in Dunnes in Shannon. It was the only acceptable style of skirt, none other could even be contemplated, but it was shop soiled.
U2 have enjoyed a commercial rejuvenation and attitudes towards them have softened in snootier corners of the music scene, writes Eoin Butler
The U2 story is simple: how a rock group formed by a 14 year old drummer at Mount Temple School in Dublin had visions beyond possibility - and how, through a mix of dogged determination and careful militaristic planning and hard bloody work allied to the luck of the angels, they realised these over-ambitious dreams ten-fold.
The sun just set on the Beara and lit Tooth Mountain in a fuschia-coloured glow. It was certainly something to see. This nature thing is really very wonderful. It can keep me distracted for hours. But it cannot stop me thinking about the McCartney sisters. Several days of Republican parades and Easter commemorations up and down the country provided the Sinn Féin leadership with enough platforms to denounce the people responsible for Robert McCartney's murder. And they were denounced. But I still do not get it.
The release of Nick Broomfield's most controversial film on DVD offers viewers the opportunity to judge for themselves whether he really is the leading exponent in a genre that is leaning more and more towards entertainment writes Feargal Mc Kay
Rivalry with Dublin and a carefree attitude are generally associated with Cork bands. But Fred have also managed to release one of the best albums this year says Eoin Butler
Despite the attention the Northern Bank robbery attracted, it was not an isolated incident. Suzanne Breen reports