This Week They Said

Will you please help my son? He is only a working man who wants to support his family. Please show mercy to Ken

Will you please help my son? He is only a working man who wants to support his family. Please show mercy to Ken. - Lil Bigley, the mother of Kenneth Bigley, who is being held hostage in Iraq.

What we are looking at is an inquiry which is going to be established by government, accountable to government but probably controlled and restricted by government.

- Michael Finucane, son of the murdered Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane, says a British inquiry into alleged security force complicity in his killing doesn't go far enough.

Most of the Gogarty module was equivalent to a Roman circus with Mr Gogarty being wheeled in every morning and the unfortunates on this side of the bench being flung to him; he very definitely being the lion and we being the Christians.

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- Barrister Colm Allen says his clients, millionaire developers Michael and Thomas Bailey, are entitled to have their Mahon tribunal legal fees paid by the State.

Violence is very common, whether on our roads or in the markets. People have become competitors and commodities.

- The Archbishop of Armagh, Dr Seán Brady, on Ireland today.

They have their advice. I have my advice. Every case will be fought.

- The Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, will oppose prisoners seeking compensation for slopping out.

A lot of people are dead everywhere; it's just awful.

- The commander of an Argentine brigade in Haiti, Lieut Col Santiago Ferreyra, describes the destruction in the wake of the tropical storm Jeanne.

Any fool can write a novel, but it takes real genius to sell it.

- The novelist J. G. Ballard.

My husband knows his own mind. I plead guilty to persuading him to give up cigarettes nearly 25 years ago when we got married. Otherwise, he's his own man.

- Cherie Blair denies she exerts undue influence on her husband, the British prime minister.

Clothing is wonderful, but let them go naked for a while - at least, the kids. Water is necessary, and then generators, and then food and then clothes.

- Teresa Heinz Kerry, wife of the Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, lists priorities as she joins volunteers packing supplies for Caribbean hurricane victims.

They have created an atmosphere where the public can have confidence and that's the value you've got for the money you've expended as citizens.

Mr Justice Flood, former chair of the Flood tribunal.

When respected Islamic personalities such as Yusuf Islam are denied entry to the United States, it sends the disturbing message that even moderate and mainstream Muslims will now be treated like terrorists.

- Nihad Awad, of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, on the former pop star Cat Stevens being denied access to the US.

Rude, vile pigs! Do you know what that means? Rude, vile pigs. That's what all of you are.

- Singer Elton John loses his cool with photographers and TV crews in Taiwan.

I've given myself six months to lose 40 stone. I think I ought to. It's very noticeable that words like "lean'" and "cadaverous" are used in Sherlock Holmes but words like "lard arse" are not.

- Stephen Fry, who is to play the detective on television.

Jeffrey's vote has always been an Ulster Unionist vote.

- Daphne Trimble, wife of Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble, is to challenge former party colleague Jeffrey Donaldson, now of the DUP, for his Lagan Valley seat.