From the dock? Put me in the dock, that's where they want me, in the dock. Oh Jesus, oh Mother of God.
- James Gogarty, after Garrett Cooney for JMSE complained about his "long, rambling speeches from the dock".
From the witness box.
- Mr Cooney, correcting himself
A ball of smoke . . . a load of lies . . . a lot of nonsense.
- The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, on allegations that money from a passport investor was diverted into an FF account
To say the task you have taken on is daunting is an understatement. But I have every faith in your ability to succeed in restoring confidence in this great little nation.
- AIB branch manager the late Michael Phelan in a December 1979 letter to "An Taoiseach, Mr Charles J. Haughey", whose debt exceeded £1 million
If the truth needs to be told, I love Turkey and the Turkish nation and I want to serve it. If I have the chance, I would be pleased to serve. Let there be no torture or anything.
- The Kurdish rebel leader, Abdullah Ocalan, after his capture
Can you forgive and forget?
- A reporter to President Clinton after his aquittal in his impeachment trial
I believe any person who asks for forgiveness has to be prepared to give it.
- Mr Clinton's response
I've been asked whether he killed somebody - a journalist asked me that, from a major Texas newspaper.
- Spokeswoman for US presidential hopeful George W. Bush
Our view is that decommissioning in one form or another has to happen. It is not compatible with being a part of a government and part of an executive if there is not at least a commencement of decommissioning.
- The Taoiseach, in a Sunday Times interview
Mr Ahern did not say, nor does he believe, that Sinn Fein should be banned or not allowed to participate in the Northern Ireland executive unless the IRA started to decommission.
- Government statement issued in response to unease in republican circles at Mr Ahern's comments
And maybe if he was less helpful [to the media] like other taoisigh were in the past, particularly his predecessor [John Bruton], he wouldn't be in such difficulties because every time that he seems to answer a question, he has to answer another body.
- The Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy
I would be laughed out of the room.
- Gerry Adams, on asking the IRA to hand in their weapons
The Tyrannosauraus Rex of Tullamore.
- John Bruton on Fianna Fail's Brian Cowen
It would be a war crime and a crime against humanity.
- President Milan Milutinovic of Serbia on the threat of NATO air strikes
I'm really looking forward to it and I'll give it my best shot. But after four games, it's in someone else's hands. That's the agreement we've got.
- England's new national soccer coach, Kevin Keegan
She seemed to carry round with her a large chunk of history of the 20th century and yet was never pompous or self-important. She was indefatigable, warm and generous.
- Playwright and author Fergus Linehan, on Agnes Bernelle, who has died