The crowd attending last Friday's press conference in Government Buildings announcing the MIT Media Lab Europe project were pleased to witness living proof that hatchets were buried and bygones were bygones for Eircom and Esat.

There, sitting side by side and chatting amiably right in front of the Margin, were Esat boss Denis O'Brien and Eircom head of corporate relations Gerry O'Sullivan, cozy as two raccoons up a tree. So tempting was that tableau to photographers that they gave up watching for Media Lab guru Prof Nicholas Negroponte and instead - given the week that was in it - aimed cameras at the telecoms boys.

Like Posh and Beckham, they eventually gave the impromptu paparazzi what they wanted - Denis leaned over to plant a kiss on Gerry's cheek. Asked later whether the two had been planning any joint ventures, Eircom's main spokesman said, "No", he'd just been telling his new pal a few of his favourite hostile takeover jokes.