"Santa is an informer' became the latest piece of graffiti to be daubed in republican areas of Belfast this week. Over the past ten days four republicans have been named as British Agents in the Irish media, another three names are also being mentioned. The volume of names being 'leaked' has led to suspicion that British intelligence is attempting to detract attention from its role in bringing down the Stormont Assembly while simultaneously sowing confusion within republican ranks.

MI5 has run spies and informants in Ireland throughout the Northern Ireland conflict and continues to do so, according to a former British intelligence officer. By Colm Heatley

A forthcoming survey on otters may reveal high levels of a chemical harmful to human health in Irish water. By Shay Fennelly

This story was submitted for the RTÉ Francis Mcmanus Award 2005, and was broadcast on RTÉ Radio One. Pádraig Standún is a priest and novelist who has had novels published in English and Irish,as well as writing for theatre, television and magazines.

He is furious about the restructuring of the Abbey Theatre, his new book has been ignored on the radio, and he hasn't been invited on the Late Late Show since 1985. Colin Murphy visits Ulick O'Connor at home

Conor Brady on the scandals and challenges that faced the Irish media in 2005

With the fridge still full of left overs and things you forgot to use over Christmas, Darina Allen advises on how to use them up

Not just a film about two gay cowboys, Brokeback Mountain looks at the gaping divide between nature and culture; the freedom of the wild and the restrictions of the civilised world. By Manohla Dargis

The family of Pat Finucane are canvassing cross-party support for a full public inquiry into his murder in 1989

A year on from the tsunami there are some images burned into my mind. Images of death and horror on an industrial scale, mass graves, blank eyed children and a smell of rotting flesh which you can actually feel on your body. It was an event which was unparalleled in recent history and something any of us who were near any of the countries affected will never forget.