THIS WEEK:THERE WAS an innocent time, not all that long ago, when the Irish Press plc agm was as heated and colourful (not to mention long – they sometimes ran over five hours) as shareholder meetings got.

In general, the main reason investors popped along to the annual meetings of companies was for the free lunches.

Then the banks went and upped the ante, and agms began to seem dull if vitriol, scorn and rotten eggs weren’t fired at management.

Those in need of an even bigger rush should be able to get their fix at Independent News Media’s annual shareholder meeting this Friday.

Developments at INM in recent months – personality clashes, boardroom feuding and shock resignations – all point to a humdinger of an agm.

In April, chief executive Gavin O’Reilly left the group amid speculation that shareholder Denis O’Brien was planning to oust him at the agm.

Now the focus has shifted to Paul Connolly (one of two directors on the INM board representing Mr O’Brien) who will be trying to get re-elected to the board at Friday’s meeting.

This is despite the fact that the INM board intends to advise shareholders to vote against his re-election. There may or may not be free sandwiches, but there’ll definitely be fireworks.