FINANCE Minister Ruairi Quinn may be well known on his home patch. Indeed, as one of the 15 EU finance ministers, he has a certain international standing.

That standing, however, has yet to penetrate some sections of the international press. A picture supplied by Reuter from last weekend's Verona meeting of finance ministers featured the British Chancellor of the Exchequer Kenneth Clarke in conversation with what the Reuter caption writer described as an unidentified man".

And who was this mystery man talking to the head of the hush puppies? Our own Ruairi.