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Martina Devlin: Think we're angry, Enda? You've seen nothing yet

LOOK around. Many of the people in your immediate vicinity are in a state of barely suppressed rage. One spark and up it flares -- disproportionate to the offence, perhaps, but that's how fury operates.

Martina Devlin: Taxpayer has to foot bill for 'bankruptcy tourism'

SO, Tom McFeely was strolling along a pavement in London and happened upon the legal quarter, where he thought: "Sure I might as well take the bull by the horns, as my dear old cattle dealer dad taught me, and file for bankruptcy while I'm here."

Martina Devlin: Transport providers are taking the public for ride

Happy New Year. Unless you're a regular public transport user, in which case prepare for a prolonged hangover because a Mickey Finn was slipped into your celebratory drink.

Martina Devlin: While we wallow, Sinead follows her hopeful heart

I DON'T suppose many of us will ever understand the turbulent spirit that is Sinead O'Connor -- but we can still salute her talent, courage and hopeful heart.

Martina Devlin: There's five billion reasons to quit your arrogant bank

There are almost five billion convincing reasons why Bank of Ireland should immediately pass on interest rate cuts from the European Central Bank to borrowers on standard variable mortgages.

Martina Devlin: Good cop, bad cop act can't mask Budget pain

'A RUINED village was left here . . . occupied by unemployed and angry people who were tormented by a prosperous past and the bitterness of an overwhelming and static present,' reads Gabriel Garcia Marquez's 'Leaf Storm'.

Martina Devlin: It's not just about the money -- we want to reclaim our republic too

'Public anger is acute," said Brendan Howlin. How right he is. But his Government is fast becoming the focus for this fury -- and not because of the castor oil which ministers must, of necessity, dish out.

Martina Devlin: We must protect citizens from our ruthless banks

Fancy a career in banking? There are still some promotion opportunities -- although you do realise 'banking' is now a euphemism and that a banker's function is to act as a debt collector.

Martina Devlin: Fine Gael and Labour do a great impression of FF

AN ALARMING make-over has taken place and partly explains why the Government's honeymoon is well and truly finished: it's had a facelift and seems determined to impersonate Fianna Fail.

Martina Devlin: Gallagher may have sealed own fate by uttering just one word -- 'envelope'

BERTIE may not be standing for the Aras, but another man steeped in the Fianna Fail ethos is in the frame -- at least that's the interpretation we can take from Sean Gallagher's behaviour, spotlighted during the last hurrah of the presidential campaign.

Martina Devlin: Yes, pensioners deserve apology but not a free ride

We need some perspective on the subject of senior citizens. On the one hand is the view that they eke out a Dickensian existence, surviving on jam sandwiches and wearing fingerless gloves over their arthritic fingers in damp basements.

Martina Devlin: Patriot act could be the gift that keeps on giving

DEAR Enda Kenny, I have a Christmas present for you: an idea for raising money. You need to hurry to avail of it, though. Your Government's popularity is ebbing at a rate of knots, and this involves tapping into residual levels of goodwill.

Martina Devlin: Solas must focus if it is to succeed where FAS failed

The social evil which tops the misery index must surely be unemployment -- a condition which, let us remember, is not the fault of the unemployed.

Martina Devlin: Women cross old class boundaries to find love

As the boom was getting "even more boomer" back in the days of prosperity, an unusual development happened in relationships. I know, all relationships are unusual at some level -- it's a mystery how people make them work.

Martina Devlin: Transparency vital if we are to trust civil servants

We already know the Department of Finance's economic forecasts are as reliable as Mystic Meg's. Now comes proof that its accountancy methods amount to jottings on the back of an envelope.

Martina Devlin: A vote for political power is a vote for a witch-hunt

All week I've been checking my post box, watching for a leaflet to help me decide how to vote on the referendum about allocating extra powers to the Houses of the Oireachtas. Not a dickey bird.

Martina Devlin: Only truth can mend the broken parts of our island

Hemingway reflected that the world breaks everyone and afterwards many are strong in those broken places -- an appealing observation because it retrieves value from injury.

Martina Devlin: North moved on but we didn't take leap of faith

Fairytales are comforting because what happens during them is fixed: evil is thwarted, while the virtuous are tested but pass with flying colours. History, on the other hand, is troubling because it can be difficult to assign hero and villain labels.

Martina Devlin: Hard times bring out the inner strength in people

TALES from the dark side are filtering through now. The theatre director I met who is working as a tour guide. The advertising executive waiting tables in her brother-in-law's cafe. The taxi driver, first day on the job, who trained as an architect.

Martina Devlin: We must work together to beat mortgage maze

NEVER mind wanting to be rich and famous, most of us would probably settle for being debt free right now. The truth is that many people have borrowed too much, generally in property, with the roof over our heads costing the shirt off our backs.

Baby Ann case shows 'new' Ireland is really only skin deep

NOT quite as modern as we like to congratulate ourselves, are we? As the Baby Ann case highlights.

Time to take the scissors to those not-so-flexible friends

THE following items are listed on my December credit card bill: Nine Newbridge silver tree decorations ?90; six bottles of champagne ?180; six boxes of luxury chocolates ?72; three perfume gift sets ?147; two children's duvets with fairies waving rhinestone wands ?80 and one glittery tabletop arrangement ?30.

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Gun victim brother of murdered man

The 36-year-old, named locally as Alan McNally, was gunned down in the Cappagh Nua bar in Finglas, north Dublin, shortly after 1am.

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Facebook in massive stock flotation

The social networking site aims to raise five billion US dollars in what is expected to be the biggest initial public offering from an internet company.

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Police hunt 'woman in bag' killer

Murder squad detectives are trying to trace the family of an African woman whose body was found in a suitcase beside a road. The woman, believed to be in her mid-20s, was dumped in the large travel bag in the Blackhorse Avenue area of north Dublin some time on Saturday.