The Margin did not envy CIE Group's chief executive Michael McDonnell last week when he made a lengthy appearance before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Public Enterprise and Transport.
With the transport group's former chairman, Brian Joyce, just two days out of the job and further difficulties emerging from a damning report on rail safety, it was no surprise to hear one CIE wag describe McDonnell's committee appearance as an entry into the "valley of death".
However, keenly aware of the political controversy, Mr McDonnell "gracefully declined" to comment on Mr Joyce's departure.
Later, he heard numerous enquiries from Cork TD Noel O'Flynn about CIE's services in the second city and in Kilkenny.
Such was the detail requested by Mr O'Flynn that Mr McDonnell suggested "we'll be here for the night" if he were to answer each question in full.
But committee chairman Sean Doherty was quick to rule this out. "You'll be on your own because I'm not staying here with you," he said to the chief executive.
