Divis, I thought there was some merit in your first post, but Teribus challenged it on several points and, as far as I can see, you haven't dealt with any of them. For instance, if Teribus is right (IS he?) you were flying a kite in the way you described the status of the hitorical inquiries team.

Teribus, in answering shaneo's claim that Ireland is the third richest country in the world per capita you said: "I actually happen to live in the third richest country in the world , and guess what it ain't fuckin' Ireland."

So what country would that be then, Teribus? Ieland's GDP outstripped Britain's several years ago. With his reference to "per capita" we may assume Shaneo had in mind GDP. But if you're measuring richness in more general terms, it's hard to ignore the Economist Intelligence Unit, which consistently puts Ireland among the top coutries in the world for "quality of life," and the UK many places lower down the list. (They use a formula which embraces factors such as incomes, health, unemployment, political stability and job security.)

EU subsidies obviously kickstarted the Celtic Tiger,but you are mistaken to think that those are what makes the difference now. Ireland has developed a hugely successful knowledge-based economy, and seen through a relatively painless switch in emphasis from agriculture to service industries. Ireland is also much more open to international trading than the UK. Factors such as these mean that Ireland is attracting colossal inward investment in its own right, and EU subsidies are a relatively small part of the whole mix. (Most EU countries, including the UK, benefit from subsidies of one sort or another.)

Just a detail, Teribus, but Stalker was a deputy chief constable, not a chief constable.