The Margin's "brokers comment headline of the week" has been won - by a distance - by Austin Hughes of Irish Intercontinental Bank with his intriguing "Can Offaly Overheat".

Visions of a boom in Laois-Offaly? A new breed of Midland Millionaire?

Sadly not. Hughes is developing the thesis that, once inside monetary union, the Government will be in a similar position to an existing local authority, such as Offaly County Council.

And, as he adds: "It is unlikely that Offaly County Council, for example, would manage its finances to prevent the Midlands economy from overheating. Indeed, it is questionable whether Offaly could overheat, in the manner, which so concerns economists and investors in financial markets."

On the other hand, if they get past the football semi-final next year . . .