Edward O'Hare speaks to writer DBC Pierre at the Cúirt Literature Festival in Galway.

The Tubridy Show was almost tolerable on Friday (28 April). It featured the wonderful Derek Mooney plugging his Mooney Goes Wild programme of the following day and the arrival of blue tits in a nest in his back garden. Derek talked sensibly and interestingly about the blue tits, about jackdaws they had filmed last year, about plastic bags, money-back-bottles and lots else. No blather, no twittering (from him anyway). Substance. Then there was Diarmuid Ferriter, the historian, talking about his new book What If, based on his radio series of the same title. Again, substance.

W hat, in the context of society, is "debate"? The question is brought to mind by a report in last Monday's Irish Times of a "debate" at the Cúirt literary festival in Galway about, interestingly, freedom of expression.

A recent speech by Joe Higgins of the Socialist Party has raised hopes of a new alliance of the Left. Scott Millar reports

For nine months in 1980, Peter McCloskey was abused by Denis Daly, a priest in the local parish of Christ the King, at Caherdavin, Limerick.

This is the story of Denis Daly's life as a priest, based on a report compiled from the archives of the Archdiocese of Sydney. This was done by the archivist, Pauline Garland, in 2003, following Peter McCloskey's requests for information on Denis Daly

Allegations that Bishop Donal Murray stonewalled on sex abuse inquiries. By Colin Murphy

Pat Kenny could be a good radio broadcaster. He has the voice, the fluency, the intelligence and the familiarity with his medium. All he needs is discipline, whether self-imposed or externally-imposed. Someone in his earphone frequently screaming "shut the feck up" or, ideally, a variant of same.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has indicated the Government's commitment to introducing legislation to recognise same-sex partnerships.

Edward O'Hare on Beckett's Krapp's Last Tape at the Gate