The director of the European Commission office in Dublin, Peter Doyle, at the Association of European Journalists' annual awards in the city on Monday, quipped that he was considering sponsoring a new award himself - for a journalist writing in praise of the euro.
Presenting the awards, Attorney General, Michael McDowell said it would be interesting to see how the Irish electorate viewed the EU now that we were in the happy circumstance of becoming a net contributor rather than a net receiver. The electorate was more a thinking than selfish one, so the Government had to watch its European views.
In his experience there was no propensity on the part of public representatives to react, to guide or to respond to European issues. When European draft legislation was adequately examined by parliament here, we would be engaging in the European system. In the meantime, said the AG, there was a danger that the European programme could become the property of the elite.
The elite he may or may not have been referring to gathered the next evening to celebrate Europe Day, in Smithfield, at the invitation of the European Movement.
Garret FitzGerald said that after a marvellous half century for Europe new challenges lay ahead and some of the decisions would not be welcome to smaller nations like Ireland. Tensions at home, such as immigration, meant we must be more open; the government system and public opinion had to adapt to other needs and lose their parochial characters. "It is time for Ireland to cease being reactive and become proactive in this great political enterprise."
Other speakers included the French Ambassador Henri de Coignac and the chairman, Alan Dukes, who spoke about the enthusiasm and youth of their European Movement counterparts in applicant countries. But they also had humour. The joke in Hungary used to be - "What is worse than Communism?" Answer: "Whatever comes after it."
And not a word from any of them about the poor euro.