SOME OF the more mature members of Fine Gael like to get in a little golf practice when they get a free minute. They have a putter by the wall in the fifth floor offices of Leinster House and practise their putting up and down the corridor.

Not to be outdone, some of the younger TDs and Senators who are billeted in the Leinster House 2000 wing have now acquired a basketball hoop.

So visitors to the café on the ground floor may occasionally hear whoops of triumph when the door opens into the corridor housing FG’s suite of offices.

“It’s a great way of relieving stress,” says one of the political hoop shooters.

“I hope the Taoiseach doesn’t find out about it.”

Ooops.

* An imaginary exchange from Tuesday’s meeting between Fianna Fáil whip Seán Ó Fearghail and the troublesome Éamon Ó Cuív.

Seán, not happy with his former deputy leader’s public opposition to the party line on the fiscal treaty, fixes Dev Óg with a stern eye.

“Jaysus, Éamon. Are you for real?”

Gaeilgeoir Ó Cuív fixes the Deputy for Kildare South with a puzzled eye.

“No” he insists to Seán.

“YOU’RE Fearghail...”