I HEAD for the Shelbourne Hotel to spy on Matt Cooper. His book Who Really Rules Ireland? is launched by comedian Ardal O'Hanlon.

A hilarious launch but not such a hilarious message in the book that traces the volatile careers of such powerful legends as Larry Goodman, Sean Dunne and Bernard McNamara, constantly identifying the movers and shakers of the Celtic Tiger years.

As Matt has beaten my own book The Bankers to the draw by a few weeks I am secretly hoping that it will be a flop.

No chance of that. I am disgusted at how well written it is and its insights about the social partners and the tribunals.

I disagree with much of what he says about Independent News & Media but otherwise my heart sinks when it becomes clear that this is a readable view of some of Ireland's insiders.

The Bankers was delayed by tedious lawyers, who nitpicked their way deep into some of the more exotic tales of Ireland's pinstriped cowboys. Eventually they cleared it without too much vandalism, although why one particular Irish banker cannot be called a "highwayman" is beyond me.

The book will be out at the end of the month. In the meantime this is the last chance for any of the bankers to chance an injunction. That should send sales soaring.

Tuesday

Two very different projections on the economy surface. Professor John FitzGerald of the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) predicts that it will be 2011 before we see a "significant" recovery.

He attaches health warnings to beat the band but his prophecy is the first sign of optimism.

The ESRI's paymasters, the mandarins at the Department of Finance, will be pleased with John.

The mood of the mandarins may mellow after John's forecasts, but no one will please them more than Davy stockbrokers, who today predict that by early next year we will be out of recession. To compound their glee, Davy say that the economy will record four per cent growth in 2011.

So the recession's all over ?

Not quite. Who would you believe -- an academic with the honest genes of Garret FitzGerald in his DNA, a man who shares a bed with a former "Minister for Ethics" Eithne FitzGerald, or a stockbroker needing an economic recovery to boost commission?

I do not think John would risk any porkies in the face of the wrath of Eithne. After all, she was Ireland's first mistress of conflicts of interests.

Davy is a different kettle of fish. The bullish brokers have been consistent supporters of the Government recently. They back Nama and now they are forecasting four per cent growth within two years. Music to the mandarins.

Of course Nama will be the source of government work galore for stockbrokers, auctioneers and lawyers.

Funnily enough, this evening an irate private client of Davy ballyrags me about her unhappy experience with the same stockbrokers. A holder of their in-house managed Davy Global Fund and Davy Focus Irish Equity Fund rang me to scoff at their economic forecasts.

Davy's client thundered that government work might be lucrative, but that Davy should first look to the performance of their in-house funds.

Their Focus Irish Equity Fund is less than one per cent above its starting point in 2003. Four of the intervening years were boom stock market periods. Did the brokers who are now forecasting a four per cent jump, never take any profits or forecast a little slide on the way?

No. Stockbrokers are "slide" blind. They invariably peddle optimistic economic messages that encourage buyers.

Her other holding, the Davy Global Bond Fund shows a meagre rise of 0.45 per cent, year-to-date.

The brokers charge an initial entry fee of one per cent followed by a 0.5 per cent management fee every year.

My friend would do better to manage her own money -- or leave it with An Post.

Wednesday

Some of the most vulnerable organisations in Ireland march to Leinster House. A great community group called "The Poor Can't Pay" take to the streets.

They include the Society of St Vincent de Paul, Age Action Ireland, Barnardos, Lone Parents, Focus Ireland, Free Legal Aid (Flac), the Childrens Rights Alliance and other charities.

Their object: to protect the weakest in the coming budget.

I am contemplating joining the march when I spot two familiar beards in the crowd .

The whiskered faces of Jack O'Connor of Siptu and Shay Coady of Impact emerge to make my blood boil.

Plutocrats in the trade union movement should not be part of protests against poverty. Jack of Siptu and Shay of Impact represent people in jobs, many -- like their own -- very well-paid jobs too.

Siptu and Impact are mega-rich outfits with huge reserves.

Perhaps they could let us know how much they have donated to St Vincent de Paul, Age Action, Barnardos, Focus Ireland and Lone Parents.

"The Poor Can't Pay" is no place for powerful forces like Siptu and Impact.

At least Impact's general secretary Peter McLoone, the head of Fas to boot, did not have the brass neck to join the march.

Thursday

But McLoone was probably mugging up for his final Fas board meeting. The Fas directors meet all day to agonise over their positions.

At the end of the meeting chairman Peter resigns as promised, but the rest of the discredited Ibec/Ictu cabal cling onto their €14,000-a-year jobs till November when the new legislation will finally show them the door.

Earlier, Sam Smyth reveals in the Irish Independent that Sean FitzPatrick is not paying off his €106m debt to Anglo. But what is Anglo doing to collect it?

Anglo chairman Donal O'Connor is in an impossible position. As a member of the old regime he should never have accepted the job.

Donal should have resigned months ago when he saw the problem of Sean looming. Donal was a protege and golfing pal of Sean's. Both sprung from the PWC stable.

Donal was brought onto the board of Anglo by Sean and both men were directors of key Anglo client, the Dublin Docks Development Authority, albeit at different times.

How can Donal make an objective decision to pursue -- or not to pursue -- his former patron for the money owed to Anglo?

Any sign that Anglo is going easy on its one-time boss will be greeted with howls of derision.

Donal has always been too close to the old board to carry credibility when clearing up their mess.

Friday

I vote 'Yes' to Lisbon early in the morning.

Hopefully European leaders and overseas investors will be concentrating on the result of today's Lisbon vote and will miss our woeful broadband figures.

Far from improving, Ireland is again dropping down the league. During the Celtic Tiger years we managed to fudge the broadband issue by smothering our lack of high- speed internet behind a frenzy in the construction industry. Now we have fallen behind Latvia, Romania, Bulgaria, Estonia and Turkey.

There is no longer a construction industry to give the impression of prosperity. Without broadband we will suffer a lethal competitive handicap.

Time to revive the broadband bill in the Seanad. Maybe this will be third time lucky.

Sunday Independent