THIS WEEKEND in Athens may have seen the opening of the final scene in the last act of a modern Greek tragedy; the drama ending with a reluctant Greece accepting the tough austerity terms attached to a €130 billion rescue package which the EU, IMF, ECB troika will soon sanction.

IT’S JUST PAST 9PM on Thursday night, and the two streets that make up Ballingarry in south Co Tipperary are deserted. A thick fog is beginning to blanket the village. There’s the slightest whiff of slurry in the air. But there’s nothing else to report. It seems as dead as the showband era, unless you know where to look.

Venison in a chocolate sauce and a cherry tiramisu to tempt lovers of good food, writes DOMINI KEMP 

Pastel hues are everywhere for spring. Here’s how to wear them in a fresh, modern manner, writes DEIRDRE MCQUILLAN 

Shane Mullins’s world fell apart after a car crash seven years ago. Now that he has pieced his life back together, he tells JOHN HEARNE , he wants to help other people face up to seemingly impossible challenges

. . . on ageing

‘BEAUTY IS TRUTH, TRUTH BEAUTY,” declared the poet John Keats, carried away by a glimpse of a Grecian urn. Nowadays our fount of truth is more likely to be scientific – and beauty often has precious little to do with it.

Some encouraging signs as construction firms expect activity to be higher in 12 months time

Rugby:Ireland’s postponed Six Nations clash against France will not take place this weekend, it has been confirmed, after the task of rescheduling the fixture grew more complicated.

IN THEORY, you can’t put a price on love but the reality is that finding it, maintaining it and celebrating it often comes with a hefty price tag. Valentine’s Day, should you choose to mark it tomorrow with a traditional gift, is not inexpensive – think €80 for a dozen red roses and not much change out of €20 for chocolates, with heart-shaped packaging.

FLASH FICTION: To be truthful, Aidan wasn’t all that fond of Judith; she always gave him tea after everyone else was seen to, and spelt his name wrong on Christmas cards

MANCHAN MANGAN has spent thousands of euro going to the theatre, but often he ends up whiling away the evening looking at the plasterwork or the lighting. Why does he stay in his seat? Because it’s worth it for those rare moments of theatrical glory

ROAD TEST: OPEL ASTRA GTC2.0 CDTI The GTC proves that there remains some strong design pedigree at the Opel brand but the sporty Astra is up against some tasty rivals, writes Motoring Editor MICHAEL McALEER 

One of the striking things about the culture of 15th-century Ireland is what is not there. There is not, to any great extent, evidence of that great flowering of European intellectual and artistic life that is summed up in the term Renaissance. The magnificent set of 15th-century Benediction copes and Mass vestments that survives from Christ Church in Waterford stands out as a rare example of Renaissance art in Ireland. But it could not be other than a European import.

HE LIKES the television on all day, she can’t stand the constant background noise. She keeps disappearing for coffee with friends, he wants to know where she is going and when she’ll be back. Meanwhile, their daughter has decided they should exchange full-time work for full-time babysitting of their grandchildren. With thousands of public servants retiring at the end of this month there will be a lot more negotiating going on in Irish homes and not just in the areas you might expect.