Dublin Opinion

Half asleep yesterday morning, an item on French radio caught my ear - it was a piece of schadenfreude concerning the latest twist in the case of Paul Wolfowitz, President of the World Bank. Mr Wolfowitz is in the process of being caught by the proverbial knackers on account of his blatant nepotism towards his mistress.

Hearing this item put me in mind of the time in the last century when Dublin Opinion’s Ben just narrowly missed out on the post of Vice President of the selfsame World Bank. At the time Ben was gainfully employed by our small but perfectly-formed state but was looking for a challenge more to the scale of his ambition.

On seeing an ad for the post of Vice-President of the World Bank, he decided to put together an application and asked me, as then President of the Kimmage,Coolock and Knocknagoshel Pigeon Athletic Club to pen him a killer reference.

I did not hesitate in doing so for the best treasurer the KCK Pigeon Athletic Club ever had.

On Ben not getting the job we both began to hold a longstanding grudge against the World Bank - not only did they keep the Third World’s head well under the water - but they also clearly held pigeon men in derision (like so many others).

With the aid of retrospect, I now realise that I must have blown his chances by my mentioning the one blot on Ben’s pigeonman record, the rumours about his nights at the dogtracks with uncertain ladies in leopardskin ensembles.

Clearly Wolfowitz kept this foible well brushed under the carpet in his application.

It stayed there, until now, that is.

PS Ben - in need of a re-write of that reference or what ??