From this mornings Irish Times – I paraphrase. Cowen didn’t ask for complaint to be made (or was consulted about it) regarding the piece on the  Nine O’Clock News. Instead it was a Government Press Officer performing a solo run (oops that nearly came out as knicker twister ala Miriam Lord).

But RTE say that their senior management had already decided to remove the piece from the website and apologise before the complaint was made.  

Positively Pavlovian! I wonder how morale in the newsroom is?

So who are the powers that be who have the Gardai in Pearse Street going to Today FM studios, interviewing the artist (an investigation referred to in The Examiner by Charlie Flanagan Fine Gael TD as ‘sinister’) and the artist handing over 5 pieces of his work?

The Garda Press Office refused to comment on the approaches to the Ray Darcy Show. Conor Pope points to blogs and the internet as ‘hopping’ with news and criticism on the controversy.

Thats sums up the domestic mainstream print coverage until the Irish Independent comes online.