Drapier/An insider's guide to politics: A sombre week here in Leinster House. Brimful of shame and sadness. The death of Liam Lawlor certainly cast a cloud over the whole Fianna Fáil ardfheis.
The so-called "revelations" in the Sunday newspapers left people all over Ireland - not only the Fianna Fáil faithful - gasping.
For Hazel Lawlor it was a massive body blow, and it will take a long time for her and her family to recover.
We had immediate newspaper apologies, some genuine, some not so, and there was still even on Monday morning a type of a bravado element evident. Liveline and Joe Duffy helped to smartly dissipate all that and cut through the verbiage, with Mrs Lawlor's family members speaking determinedly and trenchantly.
It took Senator Joanna Tuffy to cut to the chase very quickly on Tuesday when she said in her contribution that even if every word of what they printed had been correct, it should not have been done within hours of Liam Lawlor's death. The reportage was atavistic and vengeful.
One good outcome will be that Michael McDowell, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, is determined to bring forward very quickly the legislation to set up a press council.
I think there will be in such a council safeguards for everyone, the press, the public and the politicians.
Liam Lawlor's life was dramatic and eventful, and it was so even in death. May he rest in peace.
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And so to the Ferns report. First things first. Mr Justice Francis Murphy deserves full commendation. The report is crisp, factual and comprehensive. To read it is almost unbearable - the huge abuse of power, as if young children were there to be the playthings of respected church figures in local communities.
In Drapier's mind the church will never recover from this publication, but the compelling story had to be told. The Rubicon has been crossed, and the church will never again recover the trust it had in earlier times.
The Taoiseach says every diocese will have its audit, and there will be church figures waking up wondering what that will mean for them individually and collectively.
So many broken lives, so much shattered innocence.
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In other continents, like the US and Australia, these matters have been faced, and restitution of a sort made in earlier years.
It is coming slower in Ireland, where the faith was stronger. Hence the disbelief, the shame and the huge sense of despair.
Of course, there are so many worthy priests, brothers and nuns who toil daily for the good of those in their care. Just the same as there are so many politicians who toil daily - likewise, solicitors and some newspaper editors.
It takes just a few to tarnish the many, and this is what we face now on a daily basis in all walks of life.
The corridors and chambers in Leinster House this week were quiet and watchful.
Debate was muted and, following the Ferns publication, a sense of hopelessness pervaded.
Surely there is room for a kinder world of the church, journalism, legal professions? Are we all hurtling on the road to hubris? Where every certainty is gone, and the future looks uncertain and bleak.
A few fine figures shine out following the publication of the Ferns report. Firstly, Judge Murphy; his task could not have been easy. Bishop Eamonn Walsh with his intellect and true compassion, Colm O'Gorman.
But above all, the courage of those who came forward with their stories.
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The Fianna Fáil ardfheis seems to have been a fine affair. Thousands of delegates reaffirming their faith in Bertie Ahern; many fine speeches from Ministers and delegates. Powerful interviews by Bertie with Ursula Halligan and Seán O'Rourke.
What is one to make of the equality agenda of the quota system for women candidates?
Does this mean that Rachel Doherty, the intelligent Roscommon councillor daughter of the late Seán, will be added to the ticket in Roscommon-South Leitrim? Methinks not.
If added, she will be seen to rattle the cages of Michael Finneran and John Ellis. The Fianna Fáil policy for the election is to consolidate the seats of the incumbents and not to engage is experimentation. As St Augustine said: "Make me good, Lord, but not yet."
This is not the first time that Fianna Fáil has trod the equality path. Almost 30 years ago Jack Lynch, as leader of the opposition, added scores of women to the party tickets for the 1977 general election.
One of those was Mary Harney, who performed well and was then appointed to the Seanad by Lynch. The rest is history.
Fianna Fáil national executive will be well peopled now with women. The committee of 15 has become the committee of 20 - 10 women and 10 men - and that is definitely a good start.
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Back to the ardfheis. The various aspirants to the throne were strutting their stuff, but yet there remains really just one main contender, the Minister for Finance, Brian Cowen. He is a big beast in the political landscape.
Much depends on his forthcoming budget. It has to be generous but prudent, sagacious and appealing with an eye on April 2007.
The best speech last week-end? It has to be that of John O'Donoghue, pithy, poetic and humorous - the King of Kerry. A copy was forwarded to Drapier's friend, who dutifully passed it on.
A note of comment this week was the balmy advent of St Martin's Summer - late October temperatures of 20 degrees in such contrast to the bleak political atmosphere in Leinster House.