In 2008 we'll learn where Europe's future lies, what the pay talks will bring, who will be US president, when the UK's queen will visit, and why the Statue of Liberty's head was flung across New York, explains Shane Hegarty
A is for Ahern
This could be the year in which the Taoiseach safeguards his legacy - or cements a reputation he hoped never to have. His 2007 came crashing to an end thanks to tribunal appearances, the pay-raise controversy, a schools' water charge U-turn and the health service. In 2008 he will address the joint US houses of Congress, in what will be a highlight of his career. However, his appearance at Westminster didn't distract from the sense that he may be losing his touch, and now that he has declared that it will be his final term as Taoiseach, is he facing the rot that crept into Tony Blair's end days?
B is for Belfast
There's a nice new motorway going most of the way there from Dublin; Aer Lingus flies to Heathrow from Belfast International Airport; with Dublin's Point Depot closed, the Odyssey Arena has been the substitute venue of choice for concert promoters; and it now has the shrine of consumerism, Ikea. In 2008, the path from the South to the North will be tramped down in a way not seen before, and those on the western seaboard will continue to grumble about the economic shift towards the north-east corner of the island.
C is for Cloverfield
During the summer, a movie trailer appeared online that instantly proved one of the most successful viral hits of recent times. What at first appeared to be a low-key flick about New York hipsters suddenly broke out into tremors and explosions and the sight of the head of the Statue of Liberty being flung across the city's skyline. From JJ Abrams, the creator of Lost, it was a spectacular teaser, whose mystery will be revealed when the film is released in the US in January. Although, it can't hope to be as good as its trailer.
D is for Drugs
So what can be done about the drugs problem? The hysteria that marked the last weeks of 2007 led to a lot of outrage, debate, argument and hand-wringing, but there were very few solutions to a problem that extends beyond the arrival of cocaine into the middle classes. Should the hysteria calm in 2008, we will finally get to see if any tangible change flows from that national debate, or if the problem remains as ubiquitous and intractable as ever.
E is for Election
There will be elections in Pakistan, Russia and New Zealand in 2008, but the one that will increasingly dominate headlines from January onwards will be the US presidential election. After the primaries throw up the candidates, plenty more questions will be posed. Can Barack Obama become the first black president? Will Hillary Clinton be the first female leader, or have the Republicans got a damaging file or two on her? And has George W Bush doomed the Republicans to four years of opposition, or can Rudy Giuliani or Mike Huckabee provide redemption? By the end of the year, we will have all the answers.
F is for Facebook
As in, the possible decline of. The boom in social networking sites has been extraordinary, but in recent years the zeitgeist has rested first with MySpace which in turn is giving way to Facebook. But the latter is facing rumblings of discontent with a decline in usage at the beginning of last autumn led to predictions that it was in trouble. While it has recovered since, a recent attempt at incorporating advertising into people's profiles was admitted to have been a cock-up. It has damaged both its reputation and its plans to justify the site's supposed $15 billion (€10.4 billion) worth. Don't be surprised if Facebook turns out to be "so last year".
G is for GAA
The strike by the Cork county footballers and hurlers over how selectors are picked showed that the sport's capacity for controversy is limitless. But this will be watershed season for one reason only: money. There are many at grassroots level who believe players' grants are pay-for-play in disguise, and who fear the kind of problems that have beset club rugby since the arrival of professionalism in that sport. Whatever occurs on the field this year may yet be matched by the drama off it.
H is for House prices
How much is your four-bed semi worth? Probably less than it used to be. And it shows no sign of picking up. In 2007, a new Dublin development dropped its prices by up to a €100,000, while the notable trend was to see offers "in the region of" rather than "in excess of" for the first time in years. So, those who want to buy or sell will watch the market closely when spring comes around. But with some financial institutions forecasting a 10 per cent fall in prices in 2008, estate agents won't plan to upgrade their yachts this year.
I is for International Year of the Potato
The spud is considered to be something very Irish, but it is still the staple of much of the world's diet, so the UN has declared 2008 a year in which a focus is put on its potential to alleviate poverty and hunger. In wealthier countries, though, it'll mean a year of mash, roasties, croquettes, wedges, savouries and the occasional single of chips. Apparently, it's hoped that this will do what International Year of Rice (2004) did for that food. Who could forget that year? Anyone?
By the way, officially, the UN has also declared 2008 to be the International Year of Sanitation.
J is for Jackson Five
Michael Jackson will launch something of a comeback with the release of a 25th anniversary edition of the Thrilleralbum in February. But following the eagerly-awaited reunion of Led Zeppelin, as well as the Spice Girls, Take That and the not-so-eagerly-awaited return of Boyzone, it would appear that the Jackson Five will be next to get back to exploit the public's nostalgia. Some 23 years after they last performed together, a greatest hits album will include two new tracks, and reports say that a host of dates in Las Vegas will be followed by a world tour. It will finally give Michael Jackson's fans a chance to do their screaming somewhere other than outside a courtroom.
K is for Kodak Theatre
As ever, it's the venue for the Academy Awards. And, once again, the speculation over who will get what will include a small side bet on Irish involvement. This has been pretty thin in recent years, but the international success of John Carney's Oncemeans that Grammy nominations - in soundtrack and song categories - might be matched by Oscar nominations. The LA Timesrecently tipped Falling Slowly- written by the film's stars Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová - to win best song. Oddly, Oncehas become far more successful outside Ireland than at home, but huge box office success and Oscar buzz will ease the hurt which that has caused Carney. And should the movie win, the Irish will be sure to jump on the bandwagon.
L is for Leap year
They come around only every four years, so are worth noting. Especially for those who were born on February 29th and find that they get only a quarter of the proper birthdays that everyone else does. It is also a day on which women are supposed to buck convention and ask for their man's hand in marriage. As long as they check with their boyfriend's mothers first, of course. It's also the Chinese year of the rat, which may be suitable if the boyfriend says no.
M is for Manager
The search for an Irish soccer manager has been exhaustive and exhausting, It would appear that several dozen consultants have been involved in picking three men who compiled a longlist, from which a shortlist will emerge and will eventually throw up someone daft enough to step into this political and bureaucratic minefield. And then they will lead us into a World Cup qualifying campaign that includes our recent bogey team, Cyprus, as well as Italy, Bulgaria and underrated Montenegro. The tabloids' back page writers will be kept busy.
N is for Nagging
Of you, by the Government. Since the success of the smoking ban, it's been a tough time for those who rail against the "nanny state", but it isn't going to get any easier. So, be prepared to be told to sort out your provisional licence, to buy new bulbs in advance of the ban, to buy more environmentally-friendly cars to save on VRT, and to just buck up your act in general.
O is for Olympics
The biggest sporting event on earth lands in Beijing, where the locals are being told not to be so rude to tourists, and building has gone ahead at breakneck speed despite concerns for the safety of workers.
Meanwhile, there have been several calls for a boycott of the games from, among others, pro-Tibet activists, Reporters without Borders, Bob Geldof and those concerned by China's role in Darfur. But those criticisms are likely to be largely ignored by the time the games begin, at which point the whole thing will most probably be overshadowed by drugs cheats anyway.
P is for Pakistan
This week's assassination of Benazir Bhutto has pushed to the country into turmoil only two weeks before planned elections. Political chaos, separatist unrest, and bloody battles with Islamic insurgents have already made it a volatile place, but the violence that has followed the latest terrible twist has led to fears that it is "on the brink". It had been hoped that a new-found stability would follow the election, but with the opposition boycotting them, Pakistan instead faces deeper divisions that may have wider consequences for the region.
Q is for Queen's visit
Prince Charles has visited the Republic, as has his brother Andrew. Prince William's girlfriend - and possible future queen - Kate Middleton has popped over. But Elizabeth Windsor has not, and remains the only head of state of an EU country whose visit would lead to a fierce national debate. But we're about to get that, because 2008 may be the year she books a Ryanair flight to Dublin. There might not be a roaring trade in miniature Union Jack flags, but the reaction will be a fascinating snapshot of the Irish personality, and will be noted by media the world over.
R is for Roads
The State's road infrastructure has undoubtedly improved in recent years, and motorways continue to creep across the country, despite the strong concerns and opposition of some environmentalists and archaeologists. But the M50 will remain a focus of angst for tens of thousands of drivers in 2008, who will face the delays caused by ongoing works. They will also see the toll price raised from €1.90 to as much as €3, depending on the motorist's method of payment, once the barriers are finally raised in August. So, while the toll barriers will finally disappear, the somewhat superfluous toll bridge will remain - meaning that for many drivers it will have been a hollow victory.
S is for School
The recent history of appalling planning finally led to a demographic bubble in which children outnumbered available school places in some parts of the country. The Minister for Education, Mary Hanafin, has promised 200 new schools, comprising 8,000 new places, in 2008. However, even if that alleviates the problem, the issue of "ghettoisation", which emerged out of Balbriggan this year, will become increasingly prominent. Expect further debate on the selection process of religious schools.
T is for TV3
It'll be 10 years since the station first went on the air, having promised new choice to the Irish viewer. But too often that choice has between watching programmes on ITV or TV3, with its prime-time schedules often exact replicas of the British broadcaster's. However, the station claims to be reshaping its ambitions, and has grabbed rights to some GAA fixtures as a follow-up from its Rugby World Cup coverage. Meanwhile, Vincent Browne is scheduled to start a new late-night news show, which will prove whether TV3 has learned any lessons from the short-lived and bruising experiment with its previous big-name signing, Eamon Dunphy.
U is for Unions
The talks over the future of social partnership are looming and the public will be told over and over again that they hold the key to economic stability for the next few years. So, expect threats of collapse, walk-outs, rows between unions, hardball manoeuvres by the Government and finally, hopefully, some sort of resolution. Because they may decide whether 2008 will be a year of industrial dispute or harmony. Meanwhile, the majority of workers, who remain non-unionised, will seethe at just how much they need those talks to work out.
V is for Victory
Already, there has been some serious discussion among US generals as to whether they should declare victory over al-Qaida in Iraq following a "surge" which has reduced deaths among both civilians and the military, even if it has done so by creating physical barriers between Sunni and Shi'ite areas. The British, along with Australian and Polish troops, will withdraw large numbers in 2008 leaving the Americans to build on the fragile progress. As his time as president draws to a close, George W Bush may want to go out having declared something close to a victory following years in which it looked almost impossible.
W is for Weather
As if the economic gloom wasn't enough to depress us in 2007, the lack of anything resembling a summer appeared to be a cruelty too far for us. Internationally, terrible weather events - such as Hurricane Katrina and last summer's British floods - have led to a focus on the consequences of global warming. So, a hot summer will be greeted with relief, as well as dire warnings over the environment, while a wet one will only confirm the idea that someone up there has taken a dislike to us.
X is for the X-Prize
It's almost four years since SpaceShipOne became the first privately-funded vessel to launch itself successfully into space, and in doing so it claimed the $10 million (€7 million) Anasri X-Prize then on offer.
Since then, it has been quiet on that new frontier, but with X-Prizes in medicine and green automobiles now up for grabs, Google has also put up $20 million (€14 million) for the first team to land a lunar module on the moon. This won't happen in 2008, although India will go there for the first time this year, but it will mark the start of a furious race to become the first private citizens to get where no man has been since December 1972.
Y is for Yes
Now that the Danes have decided against holding a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty - which is itself a replacement for the ill-fated EU Constitution - the Irish could once more hold the future of the project in their hands. Obviously, this makes both our Government, and those of other EU nations, extremely nervous. An Irish Times/tns/mrbi poll last November found that 63 per cent of people were undecided, so there will be an almighty political battle when the referendum is held. And the Government will be hoping for a "yes" to the treaty, although it might not be as blunt as EU Commissioner Charlie McCreevy who believes we will become a "laughing stock" if we reject it. That it didn't bother us too much when it came to voting on the Nice Treaty will give the architects of the EU project a lot of sleepless nights.
Z is for Zygotes
Since the cloning of Dolly the sheep as long ago as 1996, the world has become accustomed to hearing of greater and greater breakthroughs. 2007 brought us the world's first cloned primate embryo, but the scientific and medical world has been wrestling with the ethics of similar breakthroughs in the controversial field of human cloning, which would promise of a new era in research into cures for a range of diseases. Yet, that it has now become possible to reprogramme adult stem cells makes cloning less of an imperative.
This could take the heat out of that controversy, and bring us closer to new treatments for many illnesses. But as the general interest and benefits of cloning continue, science is likely to give us more glow-in-the-dark cats and other such marvels.