An assessment of the financial clout of Archbishop Dermot Ryan, By Pat Brennan

From Ballinasloe to the Burlington, Charlie Haughey presides over the rituals of the tribe, By Gene Kerrigan.

Alan Shatter was talking about the Social Welfare Bill, second stage. It was 2.25pm, there was one other Fine Gael TD in the Chamber, one Labour and five Fianna Fail.

Tuesday 6th
My permission is sought for Michael O'Leary to retire to Cork, when the Labour Party comes to its senses and disbands next autumn. The Parnassian cast of my reflection and occupation leaves me benignantly indifferent to such neighbours as do not possess dogs or wireless machines. But this loutish and ignoble jobber and coxcomb I shall not tolerate.

"It was with a loy the like of that I killed my father."
"You've told me that story six times since the dawn of day."
"It's a queer thing you wouldn't want to be hearing it and them girls after walking four miles to be listening to me now." 

Professor John Kelly, TD, former Minister, lecturer, author and wit was slumped in his backbench, holding up a watch. The watch had an expanding strap. Below him, the debate on the Finance Bill, the Bill which might that day have brought down the government, was in progress. Kelly held the watch up to his face, pulled the strap so that it expanded, brought it closer to his face, let the strap contract and pinch the tip of his nose. He looked at the watch again, pinched the tip of his nose again.

When representatives of the Clondalkin Paper Mills Action Committee went to Leinster House to meet Charlie Haughey on June 24 they were angry, A report commissioned by the Cabinet had indicated three weeks earlier that should the mill reopen it would do so three months later than promised and with a ninth of the previous workforce. To the workers who had occupied the mill since its closure on January 22 it seemed that Fianna Fail's pre-election promises were being reneged.

HUMAN RIGHTS : Thankful for Small Liberties

RICARDO CARRERE, a 39 yearrold Uruguayan man, held a Dublin audience spellbound-at the Ammnesty International AGM here last month while he recounted the graphic details of his seven year ordeal in an Uruguayan prison.

What's all the fuss about? What we have here is an experiment in open government, a form of partiicipatory democracy - that's what you could call it. An aggrieved citizen merely had to pick up a phone, dial 789911, ask to talk to anyone - a TD, senator, journalist, usher, cook, bottleewasher - and spout away. And the message could go right into the office of the Taoiseach. It's called keeping one's ear to the pulse of the nation.

Saturday 12th

I hear many expressions of concern over Ted Tynan's disability. Responsible citizens of every shade of opinion are unanimously condemnatory of the miscreant culprits, and solicitous of Ted's recovery.