Will Ireland win the Rugby World Cup? Will the bottom fall out of the property market, and will Bush and Blair go on the rubber chicken circuit, asks Shane Hegarty
Can Ireland really lift the Rugby World Cup?
After autumn internationals in which they brushed aside South Africa and played a sublime 40 minutes of rugby when thumping Australia, Brian O'Driscoll's men were touted as the only team capable of posing any kind of threat to New Zealand when the Rugby World Cup kicks off in France in September. There's a lot of rugby to be played first - the Six Nations will be followed by two bruising encounters in Argentina. And then the team must scrap its way out of the tournament's "group of death". But this is an experienced, supremely talented team. And New Zealand traditionally falters on the big stage. Most importantly, Irish teams and supporters built up karmic credits during some terrible trouncings in the 1990s. Maybe it's time to cash those in.
Will Brendan Howlin be tánaiste?
Here's the scenario: The PDs sink. Fine Gael struggles. Labour and Fianna Fáil gain enough seats to form a coalition. But Pat Rabbitte has gone on the record insisting that he will not, under any circumstances, go into government with Fianna Fáil. Last time his party went back on its word, the electorate didn't let them forget about it. So that's settled. Yet, the rest of the party might not be so keen to rush to misjudgement. So Rabbitte could get dumped following a party heave, with Brendan Howlin installed as leader; and following a couple of days of negotiation and shuffling of the collective pack, Bertie and Brendan then emerge side by side as taoiseach and tánaiste.
Will Peter O'Toole win an Oscar?
The spot on Peter O'Toole's mantelpiece reserved for his Oscar will be thick with dust by now. He has been nominated as Best Actor seven times since 1962, although he's not been in the running since 1982. His forthcoming role in Venus, in which he plays a veteran actor in thrall to a younger woman, has been nominated for a Golden Globe and described as a "master class in acting" by US critics, each of whom can't help but mention the "shocking" fact that he hasn't won Hollywood's greatest prize. The Academy Award voters can be a sentimental bunch, and have a habit of belatedly recognising greatness, even for performances far more vintage than the movies in which they feature.
Can George W Bush recover?
The US president heads into 2007 as a lame duck. He's lost both houses of Congress to the Democrats; has lost the support of the American people with his job approval rating at 30 per cent; lost his preferred appointment for ambassador to the UN; and he is in danger of losing the war in Iraq. Bush's legacy is on the line. With little choice, he's made conciliatory moves towards the Democrats. In January, he will outline a new strategy for Iraq. He will be expected to at least try and tackle a giant budget deficit, and will also attempt to reach out to disillusioned Republican voters. He's unlikely to be remembered as a popular president, but if he can avoid being reviled it'll have been a successful year.
Will RTÉ lose the radio wars?
RTÉ radio's crisis is dragging on. Leaking listeners during the day, and in big trouble in the evenings, previous shake-ups have been dismissed as half-hearted, with the major changes made - notably Drivetime - only driving listeners away. Meanwhile, 2FM is ageing quicker than its listeners. Today FM is winning in the key demographics, and threatens to overtake the once mighty RTÉ during vital timeslots. Newstalk has struggled in its early days as a national station, but will hope to find its feet as the year progresses. And the local stations also continue to gain ground. Meanwhile, the head of RTÉ Radio 1, Ana Leddy, presides over a demoralised staff. It appears wise to expect more "blood on the carpet" headlines as the year goes on.
Will the Port Tunnel solve the traffic problem?
It's already open, but it will be the New Year before we discover whether five years of construction, delays, rubble, single-lane traffic and hair-raising encounters with errant traffic cones will have been worth it for drivers on the M1. The big question is not whether it will take trucks out of the city - it's likely to take a decent chunk. It is whether the problem will move to the kilometre of road between the tunnel exit and the M50 junction. Will trucks have time to get from the outside to the inside lane without causing gridlock? If not, the sound of drivers wailing in frustration will be audible from Santry to Newry.
Are U2 in an artistic slump?
Having established themselves as one of the all-time great rock bands, U2 show signs of flailing a little. 2007 will see the release of their 13th studio album. But 2004's How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb failed to match the brilliance of its predecessor, All That You Can't Leave Behind. And the tracks featured recently on yet another singles collection suggest no fresh breakthrough. U2 have slumped before - namely through most of the 1990s - and even if they have nothing left to prove, their greatest strength has always come from refusing to accept that they should settle into a never-ending greatest hits tour. "The best is yet to come," claims Bono. 2007 should tell us if one of rock's brightest lights still shines brightly.
Will Royal take the French crown?
Even in the 21st century, it is the way of things that French presidential candidate Ségolène Royal is usually described as "attractive" in a way that Jacques Chirac would definitely not be, while the press still focuses on her footwear as much as her policies. But the 52-year-old Royal appears to have unstoppable momentum in her quest to become France's first female president, especially since a male rival insulted her - and half of the electorate - by asking who would look after her four children should she win. Lack of experience and accusations of intellectual flimsiness may get in the way, but might not be fatal.
Will YouTube lose its lure?
It's been relatively plain sailing so far for YouTube. Every time it's asked to remove an item from its site, there's someone else willing to post it back up. So, it's been able to counter those who complain over its flouting of copyright law by saying that it's the users, not owners, of the site who are responsible. However, Google is in charge now, and the site has quickly established itself as one of the web's great favourites. So, everyone from the English Premier League to entertainment giant Time Warner has fired off warning letters asking that free goals, music videos and TV programmes are barred from the site. YouTube has held the line so far, but the courts may soon have to decide who's right.
Is the property boom really over?
2006 gave the economic doom-mongers a rare chance to say "Told you so" as the country - if some of the headlines were to be believed - teetered on the brink of a property collapse. Or, at the very least, a gentle tumble. Well, once springtime comes we'll get a chance to see if the giant property supplements were a symptom of a buoyant market or one in a state of panic. Spring will see some houses that have been waiting for buyers since the winter. By then, there is a good chance that interest rates will be up a further half per cent, although there will be no more uncertainty over the future of stamp duty. Buyers will be hoping for a fall in prices, sellers for a rise. Although everyone's first thoughts will surely be for the security of the poor, put-upon estate agents.
Will Ireland go cricket crazy?
Ireland qualified for the cricket World Cup in 2005. The country didn't exactly pour on to the streets in a display of collective euphoria over this sporting achievement. Still, there are a few cricket die-hards who have booked their trip to the West Indies. Miracles are not expected. Ireland is currently just a few places about the Netherlands in the world rankings and, with Pakistan and the West Indies in our group, both fans and players are likely to head there in "realistic" mood. However, one shock win for Ireland and people at home - as proven with swimming and rowing - will no doubt become expert and loyal supporters, waiting up until all hours to cheer on a vital leg bye.
Will there be an independent Republic of Scotland?
Three hundred years since the Act of Union joined England and Scotland, the Scottish parliamentary elections in May are being seen as a vote on independence. With Labour support falling, the Scottish National Party has said that should it gain control it will push for an independence referendum. The Liberal Democrats are open to the idea, and the support of Greens and Socialists also seems assured. Gordon Brown's first test as British prime minister may be to persuade his compatriots not to sever the link with the auld enemy.
Will Cuba collapse?
As Fidel Castro ceases to be the dominant figure of Cuban life, the CIA can put away its exploding cigars and turn to whatever plan it has for de-stabilising the new regime as led by Castro's brother Raúl. Only five years younger, Raúl is also believed to be in poor health. Some experts predict a slow change in Cuba, much as happened in the latter years of Franco's Spain. But there remains the danger of a power struggle should Fidel die, and the possibility of a flood of refugees from the island, all of which will be of great interest to the US administration and cigar smokers alike.
How will Harry Potter end?
A generation of young readers - and a great many adult ones - will have their many Harry Potter questions answered when the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is published in April. The big question: who will die? JK Rowling promises two main characters will be bumped off - and one will be brought back. The people most likely to be on the edge of their seats are the publishers. Bloomsbury needs this book to sprinkle some magic dust on its profits after a year in which the absence of the boy wizard proved a curse to its bottom line.
What's Al-Qaeda up to?
Since the simultaneous attacks on hotels in Jordan killed 57 people in 2005, Al-Qaeda has been relatively quiet. That year also saw the London bombings and Sharm El-Sheik attacks in Egypt. Since then, other than its part in the bloodshed in Iraq, the organisation has appeared in the news more regularly for the attacks it has been prevented from carrying out - most notably this year's alleged plot to bomb planes. Revulsion in the Arab world over the Jordan and Egypt bombings, coupled with intelligence breakthroughs, appear to have wilted its capabilities, but the world remains braced for any sign of it breaking its silence.
Will the Irish soccer team get beaten in a half-filled Croke Park?
Having already been beaten in a half-filled stadium in Nicosia, there's a terrible danger that Steve Staunton's under-performing Irish team will find themselves struggling to sell all those tickets for the lesser matches, and, worse, that they'll slump to further ignominy. First up is Wales in March. A bad result there will see Ireland take on Slovakia in front of a disillusioned crowd. There'll surely be a full house for the match against Germany, but if morale and attendance are low by October, then the game against Cyprus might mark a whole new low.
Will the PDs get wiped out?
We've been down this road before. Prior to the 2002 general election, the media had ordered the PD's headstone, and were busy chiselling an epitaph, when the party surprised everyone by coming in with eight seats. This time around, it goes into an election with Michael McDowell and Mary Harney holding the most thankless of ministerial posts, both of which have brought little good news - and are unlikely to turn rosy in the next few months. Meanwhile, the most striking finding of RTÉ's recent survey of floating voters, by US pollster Frank Luntz, was how the group found McDowell "boring". If the public can find that man dull, anything is possible.
What will Tony Blair do next?
It's likely that May will be the British prime minister's final month in the job and, after a triumphant valedictory speech on the steps of 10 Downing Street, following which the country wonders why it's letting him go, Blair will finally hand control over to Gordon Brown. Will he write his autobiography? Will he earn a fortune on the rubber chicken circuit? Will he look for a lead role in the UN, or the boardrooms of leading corporations? Will he grow a beard and find himself? Or, like Bill Clinton, will he use his new-found freedom to try and mend his damaged reputation?
Have two Dubliners really stumbled on free energy?
In 2006, a Dublin company, Steorn, claimed that it had accidentally invented a free energy source, using magnets and weights, and that they knew it sounded mad so they wanted scientists to come and prove them wrong. Many applied for that chance and, in the new year, 12 will begin their testing. Steorn says it has developed a motor strong enough to power a car, but sceptics still claim it's a PR stunt. The scientists' results are expected by autumn 2007, by which time we'll know if it's the end of oil or of the inventors' reputations. Steorn's CEO Sean McCarthy admits: "By the end it will be either, 'By Jove, we've done it', or we'll sink into ignominy."
Will Apple re-invent the mobile?
There has been such excitement over the impending arrival of the iPhone in recent months that's it's easy to forget that no-one knows if it actually exists. Over the last few years, visitors to the website www.iphone.org have been redirected to the Apple homepage, but the home of the iPod has yet to officially confirm any such invention. Yet, Apple's entry into the mobile phone market is rumoured to be imminent. It's assumed that it will be a decent music player and could possibly eat into the BlackBerry market. The gadget-hungry of the planet will be waiting.