Fitzwilton plc, which is controlled by Tony O'Reilly, paid £30,000 to Ray Burke—then Minister for Industry and Commerce—on June 7, 1989. The payment was made by way of a cheque made payable to “cash”, drawn on a subsidiary company of Fitzwilton plc.

A Fianna Fáil/Fine Gael merger is the only way to allow a new, truly social democratic force to emerge. But the grassroots will be slow to embrace change

When the Good Friday settlement was concluded there was a national exhalation of relief, as hope replaced foreboding, if not occasional despair. The announcement did much to restore the primacy of politics and to renovate the standing of politicians. However, in the boardrooms of the banks there was a rejoicing that had little enough to do with the birth of hope and a great deal to do with the media focus being elsewhere.

Preamble
In the Name of the Most Holy Trinity, from Whom is all authority and to Whom, as our final end, all actions both of men and States must be referred,
We, the people of Eire,
Humbly acknowledging all our obligations to our Divine Lord, Jesus Christ, who sustained our fathers through centuries of trial,
Gratefully remembering their heroic and unremitting struggle to regain the rightful independence of our Nation,
And seeking to promote the common good, with due observance of Prudence, Justice and Charity, so that the dignity and freedom of the individual may be assured, true social order attained, the unity of our country restored, and concord established with other nations,
Do hereby adopt, enact and give to ourselves this Constitution.

Noel Smyth interviewed by Ursula Halligan

Noel Smyth was paid legal fees in excess of £7,000,000 in the case that led to the humiliation of Charles Haughey. There was a half million pound tax dispute over those fees.

The recent political furore surrounding Ireland's offshore accounts is disingenuous, to say the least, according to Elaine Lafferty

It is hardly surprising that there is public confusion about the meaning and significance of Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution, given that the Supreme Court has given directly contradictory judgements on them. There is confusion also on several other related aspects of the Constitution.

Bertie Ahern is confronted by an impasse in the  peace talks, a potential backbench revolt over proposed changes to Articles 2 and 3 and medio cre performances by many of his ministersy. Vincent Browne and John Drennan

Eileen Gleeson watched as PR types lounged the afternoon away in her father's pub. Now she holds the prime PR post as Mary McAleese's right-hand woman. How did this remarkable doubleact come about? By John Drennan

This is the transcript of a television interview with Mary McAleese by Vincent Browne. It was recorded on Monday, September 1, 1997, before Ms McAleese became a Presidential candidate and almost two months before she became President.

It is the great Irish murder mystery, dominating the political landscape for nearly three-quarters of a century: Was Eamon de Valera behind the assassination of Michael Collins?  Michael Mills contends that not only was de Valera aware of the ambush being prepared for Collins but also that he attended the meeting
of IRA officers at Beal na Blath where

The last 25 years have seen profound changes in our economic, social and political life, beyond what was imaginable at the time of our accession to the European Union. The accession negotiations opened in Luxembourg in June 1970, with a team led by the then minister for foreign affairs, Dr Patrick Hillery, assisted by officials from the Departments of Finance, Foreign Affairs, Agriculture and Industry and Commerce, and were completed in January 1972. Following a referendum, we joined the (then) European Communities on 1 January 1973. Now that we are 25 years a member, it is a good opportunity to review our progress in Europe.

Politicians'pensions are being improved; the wage bill for Ministers alone has topped £1m; it costs over £2,000 a day to put state cars under Ministers; the politics of degeneracy continues. By Gene Kerrigan

For over 40 years, Alexis Fitzgerald played a central role in Irish political and economic life. He had 'more influence on economic policy than any politician or civil servant since the foundation of the state'. His appointment as Special Advisor to the Government was recognition of a kind never accorded to anyone before and unlikely to be accorded to anyone again.

The government has - in the cases involving PMPA, ICI and the alleged "IRA money" - shown itself capable of urgent measures when it believes them warranted. Four years later the Stardust case drags painfully on.

After yet another trouncing, yet more pieces have fallen off the shaking shattered Labour Party. The party now faces even more crushing defeats.

Gene Kerrigan observes the democratic process at work

The Honourable Michael 0 'Halloran Lord Mayor of the City of Dublin, was humming "Come Fly With Me".

In 1969 the Labour Party talked about a National Development Corporation to co-ordinate and expand the activities of the public sector. Three coalition governments have talked about it. They are still talking about it.