The Sow that Eats her Farrow © Hayes /O'Callaghan This song lyric was uninspired - as against 'inspired' - by a series of tragic events in Ireland over the past 30/40 years the consequences of which have only become apparent over the past 2-4 years. The reports of the Ryan and Murphy Tribunals uncovered the institutional abuse inflicted by members of the Catholic church upon their subjugates; and established that the Catholic church, as an institution regarded itself as above and outside the law. The state and its leaders acquiesced by remaining subservient to the church thus leaving vulnerable children with no state protection or voice. The corruption in the Irish political system, as evidenced by enquiries into planning influences at local authority level and the abject failure of the state authorities to regulate the banking sector, has led most right minded citizens to believe that many politicians were in bed with the bankers, builders and developers such that their independence was fatally compromised. There is a growing belief that political leaders over the past several decades have been motivated principally by the desire to gain power for themselves, their friends and their political parties rather than to provide leadership and vision for the people they purport to represent. Only yesterday the Taoiseach issued a statement which started as follows: "There are occasions when the imperative of serving the national interest transcends other concerns, including ...