Impotency sufferers and Pfizer shareholders as a small blue pill sees stand-up comics and Morning Ireland journalists struggling to resist the ubiquitous Viagra pun.

Ryanair whose profits received a boost worthy of Viagra. Ooops.

Titanic junkies as the movie provokes an ocean of tears, accolades and a rise in the sale of pan-atlantic cruise holidays.

John Kelly who waltzed out of Today FM's Eclectic Ballroom for a job on RTE radio.

Tall Ships and fast bikes as big international events find a welcome home here over the summer.

Magill magazine - a few news scoops and a new owner, and editor.

Our victorious youth football teams, who kick-started a campaign to have the infallible Brian Kerr installed as manager of the senior team. (It's nothing personal, Mick).

Mobile phone retailers. How many of these infernal outlets does one tiny island need?

John Boorman whose black-and-white movie on the gangster Martin Cahill won him a Best Director award at Cannes.

Super-pubs as Zanzibar, Pravda, Life, Messrs Maguire and the Odeon in Dublin continue to give the now passe night-club scene a run for its money.

Mother Frances Meigh, the divorced English woman who became the first female ordained into the priesthood since Pope Joan. Don't ask . . .

The Hugh Lane Gallery, which brought home the (Francis) Bacon despite the fact that the artist's birthplace in Baggot Street in Dublin is still not commemorated here.

Model Yvonne Connolly, who became one of the boyz when she married Ronan Keating.

Deafness claim soldiers, whose only consolation (apart from the money) is that they can't hear the howls of abuse from the rest of us. (Allegedly).

Comedy fans as The Laughter Lounge opens in Dublin and Tommy Tiernan wins the Perrier Award in Edinburgh.

President McAleese who could do nothing (much) wrong.

Freelance journalist John Connolly, who received a cool £400,000 as an advance on his first novel Every Dead Thing.

Today FM, which managed to bury Radio Direland under Eamon Dunphy, Navan Man, the Drunken politician and Ian Dempsey.

St Patrick as the annual drinkfest became a fully-fledged - and much appreciated by the citizens - three-day fiesta.

Forgotten Irish soldiers finally officially recognised for their sacrifice in the first World War.

Irish pop music with The Corrs, Boyzone, B*Witched strutting their not-so-funky stuff at home and abroad.

Peace as the Island gets behind the Good Friday agreement.

Joe Dolan the oldest swinger in town who made a comeback by taking an automatic shotgun to classic tunes by Blur, Suede and other unsuspecting Britpoppers.

Trimble and Hume, the best double act since Princess Diana and Mother Theresa.

Zig, Zag, Podge, Rodge, Dustin and Ray D'arcy. Enough said.

Bertie Ahern, the most popular premier in the world. Probably.