QUOTES OF THE WEEK
“It is a sad day for rural Ireland.” Danny Healy-Rae TD, following the announcement of the vote in favour of a new drink-driving bill in the Dail.
“I profoundly regret if anyone in the country thinks that in any way I do not support a free press or respect the work of journalists.” Taoiseach Leo Varadkar backtracks on his sympathy for Donald Trump in his battles with the media.
“I think were these incidents not captured on CCTV, it would be very difficult for this court to accept that they happened, the behaviour seems so bizarre.” Judge Kevin Staunton in relation to a case against former politician Ivor Callely carrying out a campaign of harassment against a GP, pouring dirt around his waiting room, ripping magazines and rubbing teabags on the walls.
“There has been much jocularity around the term ‘Brexit means Brexit’ but it does mean Brexit”. UK PM Theresa May.
“An arthritic snail.” Broadcaster John Humphrys’s description of the pace of progress on Brexit.
“I see him as an incredibly dangerous man for the planet. Because America is the most powerful country in the world and to have as the head of that country, somebody who is so unself-aware, narcissistic, unthinking and unselfconscious in the right meaning of the world.” Singer Tim Booth on Donald Trump.
“It sounds like something on a very trite T-shirt, but life is what happens.” TV cook Nigella Lawson.
“I’m absolutely in despair over the fall in the number of insects we’ve been seeing in the past few years. There are a few butterflies about and some bees, but nowhere near the quantities there used to be. That’s a dreadful thing to happen.” Author Philip Pullman, warning that a “desert wasteland” looms.
“You have got whatever draught or soft breeze there is on every pore and every cell of your body and it really makes you feel wonderful.” TV’s Esther Rantzen on the joys of nude sunbathing.
“There are some male actors who seem suspiciously youthful. As the years go by, you’re thinking ‘surely by now...’ I’m clearly not one of them, but there are those and you think ‘bloomin’ heck’. I’m not going to name names, but there are some out there and you think ‘you must be 106 now’, and they look good!” Actor Rob Brydon.
“Of course I have, yeah. All the time along the way. I guess you shouldn’t have accepted it, but, as a young actress growing up in the business, you just accepted that that’s the way you were going to be treated.” Jessica Alba when asked if she had experienced sexual harassment in her career.