Relations haven't always been sweet between the Department of Public Enterprise and telecommunications company Global Crossing, which spent a few fiery months negotiating the public-private partnership deal for a transatlantic, fibre-optic telecommunications cable.

As Minister Ms O'Rourke said to Global Crossing Ireland president Gene Shutler at the cable deal launch last Wednesday: "I'm sure that you had sparky words from time to time with each other."

But the two sides were happy to stage a love-in before gathered journalists. First, the Minister presented Mr Shutler with a specially-bound copy of Ulysses, saying: "We know that you've read it many times."

Not to be outdone, Mr Shutler then produced a cut glass globe paperweight in the trademark aqua box from jewellers Tiffany and Co. "We at Global Crossing had you in our thoughts as well, and not just Molly Bloom," he quipped.