The week that was at a glance.
Saved
Mountaineer Lincoln Hall is a lucky soul. The experienced climber was left for dead on Everest and his "death" was reported in the press, until another expedition found him delirious, topless, and with his legs dangling over a crevice. He thought he was on a boat. "I imagine you are very surprised to see me here," he said.
Doomed
An Bord Pleanála has again refused planning permission for the national conference centre in Dublin's Citywest, meaning that businessman Jim Mansfield may have hit the end of the line in his plans to build the €50 million centre. The problem is that it's already half-built, so is set to become something of a tourist attraction before it is torn down.
The Numbers
7 The length in metres of Doolin stalactite, reputedly the world's largest free-hanging, and now open to the public
17 The average number of cigarettes smoked a day by Irish smokers - fourth highest in EU
80 The percentage of Irish people who say they want the option of smaller restaurant portions
Quote . . .
I was doing the garden this morning and about to take the rubbish to the tip when I got a call asking me to get on a plane back to Cannes.
Ken Loach on the surprise Palme d'Or for The Wind that Shakes the Barley
We Now Know
A higher proportion of Irish income is spent on booze than in any other EU country.
Slobodan Milosevic was not poisoned, according to a UN tribunal.
The average American pregnancy has shrunk from 40 to 39 weeks.