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Keeping up the hype
It had been given over a week to die down, the brouhaha. The very idea of over 1,000 people attending an opening, a rather a re-opening, is one to force the postponement of a visit until the excitement, or at least the initial interest, has waned. But a full ten days after the Hugh Lane flung open its sizable doors following the addition of a new extension and a much-needed general revamp, it was still choc-a-bloc. Granted, it was a Sunday afternoon, but it is rare to see a gallery bustling with so many people from mischievous toddlers all the way up to tottering pensioners.
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The asylum millionaires
Millions of euro are paid to asylum seeker landlords, thanks to Government decisions to force asylum seekers into 'direct provision' centres. By Colin Murphy and Noirin Byrne
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A model life
Monaghan-born Caitriona Balfe was recruited shaking a charity box outside a Dublin shopping centre. Now she is Ireland's most successful international model. Based in New York and the darling of some of the world's top designers, she talks to Ailbhe Jordan
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Publishing chequebooks
Book Notes loves the annual stories of the millions that publishers spend on book rights every year. The mixture of greed and grubby expectation is energising enough to make us think of dusting down that half-finished novel that's turning yellow on the top shelf.
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A ringside seat
This new collection of essays from the editor of the New Yorker is divided into five parts, to account for David Remnick's aray of interests. From politics to media, to writers, to boxing. Remnick aims to reveal those who are reluctant to disclose themselves. He does so with class. By Pete Hamill
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Viva el presidente!
Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez wowed a public meeting in London with his passion for politics and economics, keeping business and political leaders waiting while advocating socialism for the 21st century.
Hugh O'Shaughnessy accompanied him on his London trip. Chávez says he's keen to come to Ireland soon
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Protecting the Government's health
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. This time the story coincided with the Irish College of General Practitioners conference and came the day before an RTE Primetime documentary which was sure to generate negative publicity about the state of the health service. Both stories were presented in such a way as to exonerate the Government of responsibility for the crisis. Both stories were similarly misleading. The front page story of 14 May carried a headline promising the "truth about our hospitals". This was supplemented by a full page summary of the consultants' report alongside a fawning profile of Health Service Executive (HSE) chief executive Brendan Drumm. The Sunday Independent presented the report as vindication of Mary Harney and Professor Drumm since it "did not find evidence of an A&E crisis".
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Making her own populist plinth
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. Returning to a familiar theme, she made much of the fact that use by journalists of the Freedom of Information Act has declined since the introduction of fees in 2003. Apparently fewer than 1,000 media requests for information were submitted last year, compared to over 3,000 in 2003.
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Da Vinci Vode: Exploiting Jesus
 The Da Vinci Code is right in according the Roman emperor Constantine a central role in determining the history and nature of Christianity. Constantine did not just ordain the toleration of Christianity and convey to the young religion the charisma of the Roman Empire.
Crucially, he was instrumental in establishing the doctrine of the divinity of Christ as the central core of Christianity.
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Election agenda for equality
In a year's time the Irish electorate will be invited to sign up to one of a few packages of parties, candidates and policies for the following five years. This is called "democracy", permitting the people to determine their future and the course of their country in a process largely devoid of meaning.
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A dismal start to the season
Monaghan and Armagh's tense, tight and raw performance was the only redeeming feature of last Sunday's football. Louth and Offaly allowed Meath and Westmeath to win, despite mediocre performances all-round.
By Paul Rouse
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Restore my character
Forty years ago, Joe Geary raided a Co Cork pub owned by local Fianna Fáil TD Jerry Cronin. The former Garda has been suffering the consequences ever since. He tells his story to Frank Connolly
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