Dutchman Wim Duisenberg, current head of the European Central Bank, knows something about Ireland. It emerged this week that he was the IMF's "man" on the Ireland desk from 1965 to 1968. He regularly travelled to Ireland to discuss matters of interest with the officials of the then ministers for finance - Jack Lynch and Charles Haughey - and T.K. Whittaker, then Department secretary. At the time he stayed in the Shelbourne and insisted on returning there for his visit this week, when he addressed the Institute for European Affairs.

Despite his familiarity with Ireland, Mr Duisenberg - generally never short of a word for the media - appears to have developed a fear of the wild Irish press pack. He only agreed at the last minute to give a short press conference on his visit and even then only after a quiet "word" from Maurice O'Connell, who has himself introduced some openness to the closed book that was the Central Bank of Ireland.