NEW CLOTHES

If RTÉ spent even a fraction of the time and energy they have devoted to celebrating Ulysses this week on almost any other book, there would be monocled-eyebrows raised. But, the emperor strides down Dublin’s streets butt-naked and the regular reader is coerced into seeing him clothed.

Ulysses is a fine book. Well, we assume it is - we can’t find anyone who’s actually read it. The state broadcaster, and indeed most mainstream media, would have us believe there are hordes of Irish in libraries country-wide cuddling up to a cloth-bound century-old book, twiddling moustaches and sucking on pipes.

But people love to look to the past. The Leaving Cert will go back to the ‘old way’, ensuring that those that get into surgery and pharmacy are well-versed in learning the theory of photosynthesis off-by-heart, but are not necessarily the ones you’d like to be assessing your crocked old body with a bit of sympathy and an inclination to healthcare.

They’re smart, though. Maybe they’ve read Ulysses. Yes I said yes I will yes.