Indignation was the order of the evening last night as Cork city councillors suspended standing orders, proclaimed their innocence, decried the ways of the capital, and said the only brown paper bags they used were to eat chips from.
As ever, the temptation to paraphrase a classical quote was too much. Cllr Dan Boyle (Green), who had called for the transfer of land at Mahon to the property developer, Mr Owen O'Callaghan, to be put on hold, paraphrased a quote from Mark Antony in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, saying he had come not to bury the city manager, Mr Jack Higgins, but to praise him.
Mr Higgins, who had probably hoped to retire on a quieter note after 45 years' service, must have privately wondered whether the good he did would be interred with his bones.
A legal prelude to the drama was provided by Mr David O'Hagan, a solicitor, who pointed out that no daggers would be stuck into the corporation's £35 million contract with O'Callaghan Properties. It was subject to planning permission but otherwise was binding and enforceable.
Meanwhile, the other councillors, bar one, had come to bury Cllr Boyle, who apologised for stating earlier that "considerable evidence now indicates the possible involvement of past and present Cork politicians in the growing political corruption scandal".
Cllr Kathleen Lynch (Labour) jumped on the "anti-bullying bandwagon", saying Cllr Boyle had a duty to his voters to inquire whether the local author it's assets were disposed of properly.
The others preferred to put the boot in. Senator Denis Cregan (FG), who owns a number of fast-food restaurants, said the only brown bags he would give anybody were full of chips.
Cllr Jim Corr (Fine Gael) said he wanted facts and not innuendo and generalisations after a shadow was cast over the integrity of councillors. "We are all suffering and we are all hurt by this tabloid publicity," he said.
Cllr John Dennehy (Fianna Fail) said that after reading about the controversy in a national newspaper, it was very late to be withdrawing the remark. The original decision to accept the tender from O'Callaghan Properties had been unanimous, he pointed out.
The Rebel City was right up there when compared to the sinful metropolis to the north-east. "Cork is not Dublin," said Cllr Joe O'Flynn (Labour). "We have not behaved with any suspicion in relation to development or rezoning or any such matter. Our integrity is intact and I have no doubt about that."