Quotes OF THE WEEK

‘In years to come, let them say of us, when things were at their worst, we were at our best.’

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, in his St Patrick’s Day address to the nation.

‘Ireland, I love you. What an amazing national effort. Thank you so much.’

Simon Harris, the health minister reacts to the news that 24,000 medical workers offered to come out of retirement, re-register or return from overseas to help in the effort against coronavirus.

‘It’s like being on the Titanic and hearing the orchestra play as you know the boat is sinking.’

Jackie Farragher, an Irish nurse working in Milan’s San Rafaela hospital describes how staff there are overwhelmed.

‘Let’s get every southfacing windowsill in this country, let’s plant seeds… so if there is a supply crisis… we’ll have salads ready to go.’

Eamon Ryan, the Green Party leader in an animated speech to the Dáil.

‘I basked in the attention until they told me I’d been melted down and my head was in Wookey Hole.’

Anneka Rice, recalls being told her Madame Tussauds waxwork had been destroyed.

‘With Or Without Flu.’

Twitter suggestion for the title of a ballad U2’s Bono has written for the coronavirus crisis.

‘We resigned basically because it was not a kind show. They were pointing cameras in the bakers’ faces and making them cry, saying, “Tell us about your dead gran.”’

Sue Perkins reveals how she and co-star Mel Giedroyc threatened to quit on their first day of filming the Great British Bake Off.