DRAPIER: The trial of the Blackrock boys is finally over. Three were convicted this week for their part in the brawl which led to Brian Murphy's death. All the evidence suggests that there were many more tanked-up teenagers who threw punches that night.
Much of the evidence was graphic. Many of the witnesses spoke of punches and kicks being delivered to the prostrate body of a teenager who was by then defenceless and who would die shortly thereafter. Some witnesses gave evidence of an atmosphere of euphoria.
It may be difficult to comprehend but it's not difficult to imagine. The casual brutality, the amorality of the pack, the frenzied violence brought on by testosterone and Smirnoff Ice.
Drapier wrote some time ago about the photograph of Kieran Keane outside the Four Courts last year after his trial for murder collapsed. His two-fingered gesture and defiant face made clear his contempt for the law and for society in general.
This week's photographs told a different story. They showed well-dressed kids who looked like they had been through hell. Kids with a stake in society.
Kids who could reasonably have expected to prosper and get rich. Ordinary middle-class kids. Not the sort who fill our prisons.
The three convicted don't deserve our sympathy. They will be savaged by the tabloids and no doubt many of Drapier's colleagues will denounce them from a height. But there will also be many in middle-class Dublin and beyond who will feel a reluctant empathy mixed with a frisson of fear. Fear in the knowledge that the guys convicted were not exceptional. It could have been anyone's son, anyone's brother. There will be many a middle-class parent who will wonder this weekend just what their son might have done if he had been at the Burlington that night.
Brian Murphy's death was a tragedy, not least for his unfortunate family. But his death and the trial that followed carry a lot of lessons, not least the fact that casual brutality is not the preserve of druggies from poor families.
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The Dáil debated the Irish language in Private Members' time this week. In the end we passed a motion calling on the European Union to recognise Irish as an official language. Like many colleagues, Drapier isn't entirely sure what this means but it doesn't matter very much anyway since Bertie has made it clear that he doesn't intend to do anything about it.
As a rule, Drapier has no problem with gesture politics but there are times when it gets tedious.
The whole idea behind this week's carry-on was to keep the Gaeilgeoirs happy, at least for a while. Drapier very much doubts whether it had the desired effect. Firstly, the Gaeilgeoirs are not entirely stupid and can surely spot an empty gesture when they see it. Secondly, it is Drapier's experience that the sort of Gaeilgeoir involved in the language movement is not much given to happiness.
Much more interesting than the subject matter of the debate was the fact that the three main opposition parties came together to jointly propose the motion. This is the second consecutive week that Fine Gael, Labour and the Greens have combined to do something of this sort and the tactic is obviously intended to send out messages to all those who care to hear them.
The none too subtle message is that the three parties can do business together in opposition and could do the same in Government.
This is a major success for Enda Kenny and Fine Gael. Enda knows that he can't hope to put himself forward as an alternative Taoiseach unless he can line up the ducks behind him. Neither Michael Noonan nor John Bruton could ever take Labour for granted and it is a major relief for Enda that he has Pat Rabbitte's support in the bag.
For his part, Pat seems happy enough to opt into the Fine Gael camp and he seems to have the support of most of his people in doing so. Mind you, there are still plenty of Labour lads who sneer at Fine Gael behind their backs and happily pronounce their demise.
For the Greens the entente cordiale is an important departure. Firstly it detaches them from the Shinners. This will be a huge relief to TDs like Eamon Ryan and Ciarán Cuffe, most of whose voters can't abide the Provos. Secondly it sends out the signal that Trevor and Co see themselves as a party of Government, not just a repository of protest votes.
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The PDs meet this weekend in Dublin. They've had a pretty good year and nobody expects any sparks. The really interesting thing will be Liz O'Donnell's decision about the European elections. Liz has been vacillating for months now but she will surely put us out of our misery this weekend.
Without her the PDs haven't a hope of a seat in Dublin, but if she does decide to give it a go, she might well be in there with a shout.
Fine Gael will be hard-pressed to hold Mary Banotti's seat, no matter what the circumstances, but Liz O'Donnell could spell disaster for them. There is a very real risk that Fine Gael could get cannibalised by the PDs on one side and Labour on the other. No wonder they've found it hard to find a candidate.
Conventional wisdom in Leinster House is that both Fianna Fáil and Labour should take a seat each in Dublin. Until recently it was assumed that Eoin Ryan and Proinsias de Rossa would win seats but Drapier hears more and more people talking up Royston Brady and Ivana Bacik. Apparently it's called generational change.