Many thanks to a friend for directing me to this morsel in Saturday’s Irish Times article from Mark Hennessy.

HIS TIRED, EVEN exhausted demeanour is frequently commented upon, though it now emerges that the Taoiseach suffers from sleep apnea – where soft tissue blocks the airway at night, depriving the sufferer of deep sleep.

Cowen has had the condition for years, but it was only diagnosed in late autumn. Once diagnosed it can be fixed relatively easily by a simple apparatus that keeps the airway open during the night. Cowen has used the device, and has looked rested on some days, but it is far from clear if he does so every night.

Mr. Cowen has my sympathies, I’m glad he has been diagnosed and receiving assistance and I wish him some good nights sleep.