Last Monday, to be known from now on as 'Doomsday' by the Irish hospitality industry, I was sitting in the back of a taxi in Dublin, partaking of what turned out to be a very entertaining journey. The news was on the radio, and a reporter had just read a piece about the Irish Vintners' Association declaring a dramatic drop in pub customers only 15 hours into the smoking ban. Both the taxi driver and myself looked at each other quizzically. It was 1pm, the day of the new smoking ban. Pubs only open at 10:30am. In just two-and-a-half hours pub owners had noticed a dramatic fall in customers. Free article

Perhaps we've all lost the point in the debate over the smoking ban - the health system in Ireland is in a terrible state, writes AN DRAOI RUA. Caithfimid a admháil gur éirigh go hiontach le cleas Mhícheál Uí Mháirtín agus a dhlí úr le cosc a chur ar tobac in áiteanna oibre ar fud na 26 chontae. Free article

An Phoblacht's famous satirical weekly column. read on... Free article

Some 45 years ago, as a 15-year-old boy from the lowlands of Scotland, Aly Renwick was seduced by the British Army's recruiting campaign, a siren call which promised young men of his generation the scarce opportunity to learn a trade and travel the world. Only after he had signed up and committed himself to more than a decade's service did the reality of life in the British Army become apparent. Free article