Charlie McCreevy was hot on the trail of winter sun in southern Spain last week as the icy winds of selling pressure whistled around the pound.

But he didn't have far to go if his mind turned to revaluation or he needed reassurance about the wisdom of his "buttoned lip" exchange rate policy.

It transpires that Bertie Ahern was banishing any traces of winter blues in the same area.

It seems McCreevy and Ahern were rather surprised to find themselves on the same Spanish bound plane and that the latter subsequently organised a rendezvous with his finance minister via government officials in Dublin. And the agenda for that meeting? Purely social, the Margin is assured.