Politics

Dublin City Council is set to elect Paddy Bourke, a Labour Party councillor, as the capital's mayor on 26 June. Bourke has already won the Labour Party nomination in a vote among labour councillors and Labour's partners in the so-called "Democratic Alliance", Fine Gael, will also back him on 26 June. In order to be voted in he needs the backing of one other councillor – Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin, the PDs and Independent councillors having an equal number of votes as the Labour/Fine Gael coalition.

Two weeks ago we commenced the serialisation of Catherine Butler's memoirs of her time as personal assistant to Charles Haughey. Catherine's intention was to publish this material in advance of Charles Haughey's death. While he saw the first installment (published on 8 June), we do not know if he read it before he died on 13 June.

I had known Charlie Haughey since 1965 when, as a student, I was on a television panel that interviewed him. With a mutual friend I visited him in his first grand home, Grangemore, in 1968. I remember very little about the visit but he later recalled I asked him then where he got the money to afford such a fine house. I asked him the same question again and again over the years and one time in 1979, a few months before he became Taoiseach, he told me the truth but I didn't believe him.

Charlie Haughey's last five years were a steady and sad progression towards death. During that time, Vincent Browne visited him frequently at his home in Kinsealy. Here he writes about those visits and those conversations

This is not an appropriate occasion for a comprehensive review of Charlie Haughey's contribution to public life. But one thing is sure: he made a substantial contribution, to the economy, to the Northern peace processes, towards social stability and to the care of the elderly.

Asked to comment on Catherine Butler's recollections of the events in December 1982, including one meeting at which Sean Doherty, allegedly, was present, his widow, Maura Doherty, said: "The first anniversary of Sean's death is just at this time and I think it would be inappropriate for me to get drawn into this at this time."

Several FF backbenchers want rid of the PDs. Enda Kenny's stature has been enhanced. McDowell's performance is shambolic. Brian Lenihan's career is on the rise. By Emma Browne, Frank Connolly and Vincent Browne

I don't see open rebellion [among backbenchers] but there is a lot of resentment building up against [Michael] McDowell. There are often personal resentments within parties as well as between them but this is different. If he is seen to have dirtied his hands on this one he is gone. Everybody knows that he is another accident just waiting to happen.

A new report lays bare the 'global spider's web' of collusion in US renditions and secret detention of 'war on terror' prisoners. Colin Murphy reports

Charlie my hero Charles Haughey is a cultured, intelligent, dedicated, patriotic man. He is no crook. By Catherine Butler

Fine Gael is right to demand an independent inquiry into the mishandling of the constitutional crisis over sex-offenders. The scale of the bungling was awesome. But an inquiry into what went on in the offices of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), the chief state solicitor, the Attorney General's office and the offices of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform is not enough. Indeed such an inquiry is tangential to what needs to be done.