Last Wednesday, (July 7th) the President signed the Immigration Bill, 1999, into law. The bill has been dubbed the ``Deportation bill'', which of course is exactly what it was intended to be. Free article

I've just had a unique insight into how modern Irish society impacts on our lives. For almost two weeks in June I was cared for in the psychiatric unit of one of our modern hospitals. I ended up there because I could not cope with modern society. I was depressed, suicidal and burned out, so I went into the hospital and uttered a pitiful cry for help. Free article

Was it just the start of the silly season or the beginning of a prolonged bout of Fianna Fáil buttering up the electorate? Whatever the answer, the Fianna Fáil electoral reform bandwagon is rolling again. You might not have noticed, but in the last year the Soldiers of Destiny have reformed local government in the 26 Counties and are now moving on to the Leinster House electoral system. Free article

Former republican prisoner Mick O'Brien travelled to the town of Zornotza in the Basque Country last week to take part in a weekend gathering in support of the Basque political prisoners and their contribution to the process of conflict resolution. Free article

Tá daoine ann a deir linn go dtiocfaidh an domhan mar is eol duinn chun stad iomlán ag meánoíche an 31Nollag 1999. Free article

It was a weekend of minor surprises but no shocks on the GAA fields. Free article

The death of the Irish Parliamentary Party MP for North Roscommon James J. O'Kelly - a former IRB member who supported John Redmond - in late 1916 led to one of the most important by-elections in Irish history. Under the campaign slogan ``Put him in to get him out'', Joseph MacGuinness, a Longford IRB man imprisoned in Lewes Jail in England was selected, against his wishes, to contest the by-election in his home county. Free article

Fianna Fáil leader Charles Haughey made the biggest u-turn of his career so far last week when he formed a coalition government with his former arch-rivals in the Progressive Democrats. As well as their common Thatcherite social and economic policies, the Programme for Government signed by Haughey and Desmond O'Malley commits them to full support for Thatcher's solution to Ireland's British problem - the Hillsborough Agreement. Free article

Sport and Nationalism in Ireland: Gaelic games, soccer and Irish identity since 1884 By Mike Cronin Published by Four Courts Press Price 14.95 (pb); £35 (hb) Free article

Prime Time (RTE1) Michael Moore Show (Channel 4) Godzilla (in Spanish!) Free article