Brian Cowen

• In a way, I miss Brian Cowen, or more accurately, the Cowen years. You see, back then, in the days of wine and roses, we really thought we were something. Now, we are sobering up to the awful truth that we have lived with for centuries: we are servile also-rans hanging on to the rocky outcrop at the end of the garden of the house of Europe.  

AT THE end of January last year, Brian Cowen made one of his worst and – because of it – one of his last decisions as taoiseach. He asked half his Fianna Fáil ministers to resign to pursue a madcap idea of letting the younger generation in. There was ...  

According to a report in the Irish Times this week Ahern incurred secretarial costs of $97, 140 in 2008, $147, 652 in 2009, $138,586 in 2010 and $91, 959 last year. His phone bills peaked at $4, 533 in 2009 and amounted to $2, 849 between ...  

At the same time Minister of State Martin Mansergh decided to pledge his support for Brian Lenihan in the leadership race for Fianna Fail following the resignation of party leader Brian Cowen. In a horror car crash on the old N8 road north of Cashel three ...