The new deputy Government press secretary is to be Iarla Mongey. He replaces John Murray, who is leaving for Beijing now his wife, Miriam Donohue, is about to be appointed Asia Correspondent of The Irish Times in succession to Conor O'Clery. Murray was a PD appointment and so is Mongey. A native of Castlebar, Mongey has no political connnections but has come straight from INN (Independent Network News) where, as political correspondent, he supplied 22 radio stations around the country. Before that, he freelanced with RTE in the education and current affairs fields. "It's like a leap into the dark but I always believe in taking a bit of a risk," he says.
Mongey is a graduate of Thomond College, Limerick, where he learned English and . . .physical education. Should be useful in Leinster House.