THIS WEEK THEY SAID

While [Mr Ahern] holds the leadership of this party and enjoys the confidence of the House and this party, he will lead this…

While [Mr Ahern] holds the leadership of this party and enjoys the confidence of the House and this party, he will lead this party. - Tánaiste Brian Cowen tells the Dáil that the Taoiseach's leadership is not in question.

It is now perfectly obvious that what happened in the Haughey era is being replicated in the Ahern era. - Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny during the same debate.

We want to believe deep down that my brother was not killed because he was Polish. But, to be honest with you, we probably won't ever know. - Gosia Szwajkos, the sister of Marius Szwajkos, one of the two Polish men who died after being stabbed with a screwdriver last weekend.

It was just hooliganism at its worst. - The Taoiseach comments on the attacks.

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We shot this on two handicams in three weeks for 100 grand. We never thought we would be up here tonight. - Frames singer Glen Hansard accepting the Oscar for best original song for Falling Slowly, from the film Once.

As far as I'm concerned I'm out here as a normal [soldier] on the ground and not as Prince Harry. - Prince Harry, who was deployed to Afghanistan 10 weeks ago but is now to return to the UK.

Mick's a maniac. He can't get up in the morning without knowing immediately who he's going to call. Meanwhile, I just go "Thank God I'm awake" and wait for three or four hours before I do anything. - Keith Richard (64) on fellow Rolling Stone Mick Jagger and the challenges of longevity.

I have spent my life studying foreign policy and I have never seen the world in such a mess. - Madeleine Albright, former US secretary of state, who has backed Hillary Clinton for president.

Talk is cheap. Flouting the rules is expensive. - Neelie Kroes, EU competition commissioner, which has fined Microsoft €899 million because it overcharged rivals for software information.

I don't think we've ever been moved so deeply. - Jon Deak, of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, which has made a historic debut in North Korea.

They will bring upon themselves a bigger shoah because we will use all our might to defend ourselves. - Israeli deputy defence minister Matan Vilnai says Palestinian militants attacking Israel risk bringing a "holocaust" down on the heads of the population of the Gaza Strip.