Some of the comments that made up this weeks political, social and sporting life from the Irish Times.
The Government made no efforts to assist the investigation into the bombings at a political level.
- Mr Justice Henry Barron, in his report on the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings.
Didn't I oppose the war throughout? It was just a few people who didn't really understand and believed I was supporting the war. I was always against the war.
- Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.
Only the very young and the very old and the very inebriated, when on their own, drown in bathrooms.
- Richard Latham, QC, sums up the case for the prosecution in the Soham murder trial.
International law? I'd better call my lawyer.
- President Bush when asked if barring Germany, France, Russia and Canada from bidding for contracts to rebuild Iraq violates international law.
The salami is being sliced from both ends here.
- An unnamed White House official says the development of Chinese military capabilities and moves by Taiwan to pursue independence have led to instability concerning the province's status.
The Secret Service has no current plans to open an investigation.
- A US secret service spokesman says it won't be taking action over a lyric by Eminem saying he would rather see the President dead.
Quits it will be.
- President Mugabe withdraws Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth after the organisation's 54 heads of government decide to maintain the country's suspension indefinitely.
To be a Gondorian Ranger is a huge privilege.
- Royd Tolkien, great-grandson of writer J.R.R Tolkien, on his role in the new Lord of the Rings film.
You are all participants here in a revolting spectacle which for some reason is called an election.
- Gennady Zyuganov, leader of Russia's Communist Party, accuses the Kremlin of fixing last week's parliamentary vote.
A day in this country is 23 hours, 59 minutes of boredom and one minute of hell.
- Sgt Major Mark Schindler, a US soldier in Baghdad.
Let's stop the navel gazing which we have been doing now for almost a decade.
- Pat Cox, president of the European Parliament, as member-states haggle over a new EU constitution.
Television is nasty and bad.
- The slogan of a campaign in Italy encouraging people to stop watching television.
A persecution aimed exclusively at the Muslim community.
- France's National Union of Muslim Students on moves to ban the wearing of Islamic headscarves and other religious symbols from French schools and public buildings.
I'm just a normal Irish person. We turn up for work on time. We go to the pub. We don't rob from our mother's purse to get a drink and we're not drinking to numb our pain.
- Actor Colin Farrell.
There's never been compensation, nor will there ever be.
- The Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy, says civil servants won't be paid for relocating out of Dublin.