That decision was an act of economic treason. – Eamon Gilmore on Brian Cowen including Anglo Irish Bank in the bank guarantee scheme in September 2008
I will never come into this House to accuse another Irishman of what he accused me. – Cowen takes umbrage
At every hand's turn, our worst fears have been surpassed . . . The banks played fast and loose with the economic interests of this country. – Brian Lenihan on the transfer of the first tranche of impaired loans to Nama, and related measures to support the financial institutions
The appointment of joint provisional administrators will better protect policyholders. – The Financial Regulator after the High Court approved putting Quinn Insurance into administration
We would respectfully request your attention on this as a matter of urgency today to ensure this action is rescinded immediately. – E-mail, marked "Private & confidential", from Seán Quinn to Government Ministers seeking their intervention on administration move
Petty gossip . . . – Pope Benedict brushes aside criticisms of his dealing (or failing to deal) with paedophile priests while archbishop of Munich and later as Cardinal Ratzinger
In the old days, because of empire, our young men were always going out to do something. And now they're not. And now we've got those same boiling boys and we expect them to sit and watch X Factor!Are we mad? . . . What's happened to us? We seem to have lost our zing in this country. – British actor and Gurkha aficionado Joanna Lumley pining for the good ol' days
He went to the library every day because he didn't buy newspapers. There he read Dagens Industri. He knew the stock market inside out. – Unnamed cousin of Tin Can Curt (real name Curt Degerman), a tramp from the Swedish city of Skellefteå (birthplace of crime writer Stig Larsson) who spent his life collecting and selling metal retrieved from bins. He accumulated shares valued at €820,000 and 124 gold bars worth €280,000 by the time of his death. A family row over inheritance was settled this week