A glance at the week that was
Swine decline
A couple of weeks into the Swine Flu outbreak - now simply referred to as H1N1 - and it appears to have calmed down somewhat. The one Irish case is no longer active and even in Mexico they're lifting the restrictions that had been in place to prevent its spread, although "survivors" there have complained of being victimised. There have, though, been fresh cases in the UK, and in all there have been 2,000 cases in 24 countries.
Bad hair day
There are many things Brian Cowen has been accused of in his year in charge, but at least - as has happened to Australian PM Kevin Rudd - he hasn't been reported as having thrown a "wobbly" because he couldn't find a hairdryer. Rudd was said to have gone nuts during a photo opportunity on a trip to Afghanistan. He denies it and says it's a malicious smear. However, it comes not too long after he apologised for reducing a flight attendant to tears after she didn't have his preferred meal. There's one voter he's lost.
We now know
People with an Irish name are twice as likely to get a job interview as those with a foreign one, according to an ESRI investigation
Irish bank stocks have quadrupled in value since March
Green Party MEP Patricia McKenna is leaving the party and standing as an Independent in the upcoming elections
Numbers
22 The length in hours of the surgery that gave a face transplant to American woman Connie Culp
1 Dublin's place on a Tripadvisor survey of Europe's friendliest cities
2 Dubliners' ranking in the same Tripadvisor survey identifying the worst-dressed populations