My 15-year-old nephew Barry predicted, on the basis of one hearing of their songs, that the heavy-metal band Lordi would win the Eurovision with “Hard Rock Hallelujah”.

Two weeks ago, this column pointed out the curious coincidence of the Irish Medical Organisation conference and the Sunday Independent's "exclusive" front page story blaming doctors for the A&E crisis. Two weeks later, on 14 May, the lead story of the Sunday Independent was again an "exclusive" based upon the same consultants' report on the health service.

The Ombudsman and Information Commissioner is at it again, pontificating about the importance of openness and transparency and taking wild swings at bodies and organisations which fail to meet her high standards. Last week, at the launch of her third annual report, Emily O'Reilly attacked the Government, the Department of Education, the Health Service Executive, The Central Bank, An Garda Siochána, Coillte, the Central Applications Office and many more great populist targets.

Darina Allen on the consistency of Parisian cuisine, and those who break the rules

Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has moved to raise the bar on accepting participation with Sinn F&ea...

Last week Manchester United were linked with teenage Brazillian twins. They aren't in their late teens like Theo Walcott or even Wayne Rooney. Rafael and Fabio are under-15s and will actually arrive at Old Trafford in three years' time. Twenty or 30 years ago, both kids would really need to have played international football to have caught the eye of Alex Ferguson or the club scout. But the kids are middle-class enough to have agents at that age, and the club sharp enough to find them.

Little of any lasting good has ever been achieved through predictability. The best minds are both a thorn and a salve. T...

Why has Rachel English been allowed to go from Five-Seven-Live on RTÉ Radio One? I don't know whether it is because she wants to leave the slot or because the RTÉ authorities want her to leave the slot, but, one way or another, it is a mistake and a disillusionment.

?More Bus transport from Dublin is planned for the gathering in Rossport. Tel 086 8537281, www.shelltosea.com

Mondays at Gaj's traces the lives of the eclectic women who founded the Irish Women's Liberation Movement. Gaj's was the Baggot Street restaurant where the IWLM met every Monday night. Rosita Sweetman was one of the sisters, albeit a little one