Bar flies

Mary McAleese, newly elected to the Irish presidency, has arrived. One moment, pro vice chancellor of Queen's University, Belfast, the next, gracing publicity material from Strathclyde University's law school. This week sees the graduation of 18 students who have been awarded masters degrees in construction law and legal informatics. The accompanying press release explains that the group contains the first lawyers to graduate from these programmes.

"One is an eminent QC from Northern Ireland and a friend of Professor McAleese." Constitutional experts agree that this beats dancing with a man who danced with a girl who danced with the Prince of Wales.