Fórsa and Siptu announced a breakthrough in the years-long row over pay restoration in section 39 organisations yesterday. Our Catherine Keogh is quoted in the Irish Times, the Journal, and RTÉ, while industrial action planned for next week in Cork and Kerry has been suspended.

It's also reported that Dublin Airport Authority staff will be returned to full pay from the end of next March.

Elsewhere we hear that thousands of extra hospital beds will be required in the event of a New Year Covid surge, as a number of titles have more on Irish vaccine roll-out plans. (We issued this earlier in the week).

And there's Brexit news, analysis and warnings aplenty as the European Commission publishes its no-deal contingency plans. It's going to be a long weekend. 

On that, the best article I read this week was Marina Hyde's tour of the lowlights from four-and-a-half years of Britain’s Brexit. She quotes Romanian writer Panait Istrati who, when visiting the 1930s USSR of purges and show trials, asked: “All right, I can see the broken eggs. Now, where is this omelette of yours?” 

Last Sunday would have been the great Dave Brubeck’s hundredth birthday, had he not died eight years ago last Saturday. He called this version of his biggest hit “the most interesting and different version I’ve ever heard.” So Zen-out with the Sachel Studios Orchestra (of Lahore, Pakistan) take on Take Five.

Enjoy the weekend.

Bernard