Now, a little national spirit is not to be knocked, but wouldn't the primaryschool children of Ireland be better off with smaller class sizes and modern facilities like gyms and computers? Then again, maybe next winter when the clapped-out school boiler dies a death the little kiddies could all huddle together and wrap McEllistrim's flag around themselves.

>> The Dail may only have met for 11 days in March 2006 but it will certainly be remembered as the month of apologies. There was McDowell to Bruton over the Nazi slur, McDowell to Gormley for the 'your-kind-of people' smear and then Gormley to O'Donoghue for the 'sewer rat' insult. Ruairi Quinn got into the apology action last Wednesday as TDs read statements on the recent European Council meeting. The Dail chamber was packed with eager deputies as first Bertie Ahern and then Enda Kenny read their scripts. Ruairi Quinn was next up for Labour. "I apologise to the Taoiseach for not being present when he spoke but I heard his comments in reply to the questions on the monitor, " Quinn admitted, apologetically.