Of that ilk

On the day that Yasser looks finally to be on the way out, and the invasion of GroznyFallujah proceeds, it seems to be the role of Irish home news to provide some light relief. The New York Times has a lengthy article in their sports section on the Olympic showjumping affair, and then there's the events recounted in this court case, which cry out for a modern day Synge to do them justice:

The Laois Gaelic football team captain, Colm Parkinson, has pleaded guilty to two assault charges after a nightclub disturbance in Athlone.
Mr Parkinson, 26, from Meelick in Portlaoise, was charged with assaulting two men in separate incidents inside and outside Bozos nightclub at Church St in Athlone in the early hours of Sunday, 24 October last.

... Earlier the court heard from Inspector Tom Curley, who said that in relation to the first assault, victim Patrick Macken was sitting in a toilet in a nightclub texting friends when he was assaulted by Mr Parkinson ... In the second incident, the court heard that Mr Parkinson had arrived outside a chip shop some time later where a row was already going on ...

Mr Quinn [the accused's solicitor] said that his client held a finance degree, and was a star GAA player. He said he came from an upstanding family and had a very good reputation.