The annual release of the archival State papers make for welcome news fodder for the national media in the fallow final days of each calendar year. The disclosures of secret memos, off-the-record observations, and the bread-and-butter interactions of political leaders make for interesting background detail to what at the time were the major events of the day.
The State papers are normally of grave import, but there is always a gem or two of humorous provenance to be found in the heavy detail. This year, the incident of the visit of the Soviet leader, Boris Yeltsen, in 1994 recalls memories of when the Taoiseach, Albert Reynolds, was left waiting at the bottom of the aircraft steps at Shannon while Russian officials tried, without success, to rouse their leader from his alcohol induced slumber.
His non-appearance for the visit caused much mutual embarrassment, allayed somewhat by the diplomatic discretion – much to the gratitude of Moscow – which the Irish accorded the incident.
But the real gem of this year’s crop was the time and attention devoted to the question of whether the Laois/Offaly TD, Oliver J Flanagan, was entitled to style himself........

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