THINGS are not easy these days for Bord na Mona's embattled managing director, Eddie O'Connor. Arriving at last Monday's "secret" emergency board meeting at Jurys hotel in Dublin, he was literally ambushed by the press.

Unbeknown to Dr O'Connor, the location of the meeting had been switched from the pre booked room at Jurys to a suite in the next door Towers. The majority of the directors arrived unseen by the separate Towers entrance (or else were just not recognised as they came through the front door).

But Dr O'Connor arrived in a chauffeur driven car at the front door of Jurys to be greeted by two TV crews and a veritable horde of print photographers and journalists.

The location of the meeting had been switched once it became known that the tireless media had got wind of it. Apparently, nobody bothered to inform Dr O'Connor who, along with the waiting press, was under the impression it would take place in the Redwood Suite. Or should one say the Red Herring Suite?