via RTE

​Sean Quinn, once rated Ireland's richest man with a fortune estimated around €4 billion (about $6 billion), declared bankruptcy yesterday. The Irish Independent reports Quinn told a Belfast court he acquired untenable debts after investing in the failing Anglo Irish Bank. In technical finance terms, Quinn performed what is commonly referred to as a "Reverse George Jefferson."

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Professor Conan T. Barbarian

​The website for Trinity College in Dublin was vastly improved last week when a prankster posted the profile of a new English professor, Dr. Conan T. Barbarian. The profile, which has since been taken down but can be viewed on the cached page, features a picture of a shirtless Arnold Schwarzenegger and a biographical paragraph that is faithful to the Conan the Barbarian canon. MSNBC reports that Trinity spokeswoman Caoimhe Ni Lochlainn believes someone affiliated with the university is responsible for the alterations and not outside hackers. That, or Conan's sworn enemy, Thulsa Doom.

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​Will Smith refused to board an Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Manchester the other day because there were no first- or business-class seats. Instead, he chartered a plane for 10,000 pounds, or about $17,000 -- for a flight that takes less than an hour. Will! How precious of you.

The Mirror quotes an Aer Lingus source: "It raised a few eyebrows when we heard because it seemed to be a bit of a snub. It surprised everyone because it's a short flight and economy is still very ­comfortable."

[@_rosiegray]

​Mayor Bloomberg has been putting his foot in his mouth all over the place lately. First, he calls Staten Island Chuck a "son of a bitch." Then he messes with the Irish. Via the New York Times City Room blog, Irish-American community leaders are pissed (in the mad way) because last night at the American Irish Historical Society Bloomberg "joked" that he was accustomed to the sight of "inebriated Irish hanging out the windows" at the society. Ooh. Not kosher.

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