FROM OUR ARCHIVES

5 YEARS AGO

Ireland will emerge from the clutches of its international debt masters today as it officially exits its strict bailout programme. As the once financially-crippled country re-enters the money markets on its own feet, Taoiseach Enda Kenny will hail the event in a state of the nation address. Mr Kenny, whose Government has led Ireland through almost three years of austerity as it fought to hit tough bailout targets, will thank the people for their sacrifices. The country got the last tranche of funds from its €85 billion EU/IMF) loan on Friday. 10 YEARS AGO

The end was explosive. But the fuse has been burning for some time. Those who witnessed the shouting match between Gordon Strachan and Aiden Mcgeady in the home dressing room at Celtic Park on Saturday were surprised at the timing of the confrontation but not of the outpouring of mutual dissatisfaction. Mcgeady v Strachan has been the main event at football grounds around Scotland for some time now. Mcgeady, voted player of the year and young player of the year by his fellow professionals last season, now seems certain to leave. 25 YEARS AGO

Britain is ready to provide aid to the new Palestinian regime, Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd told Yasser Arafat, chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation, yesterday in London. The contents of the aid package will be drawn up over the next few weeks and Mr Hurd will announce them when he goes to Israel and Jordan in the new year. Britain has already promised to help train police for the new Palestinian authority in Gaza and Jericho and the task now is to identify the right sort of aid projects and what officials it will deal with in setting them up.