D Monday, September 21, 2009 METRO event Now is the time... Need experience for your C.V.? Retired or on a career break? 2 weeks to 12 month duration Open to ages 18-80+ >> REGISTER NOW: WWW.USIT.IE << thailand, china, costa rica, peru, india, south africa, ghana & more... ROMANCE is not high on the agenda of former Taoi- seach Bertie Ahern and he doubts whether he will ever marry again. In a wide-ranging interview in yesterdays Sunday In- dependent, he said that he is still very good friends with his former partner, Celia Larkin, but whether he still loves her in the romantic sense is anyones guess. He said: We still keep in touch. I have huge respect and regard for her. And if I was asking for advice today, Id still ring Celia. Mr Ahern believes that his relationship with Ms Larkin helped to remove some of the stigma of a person from a failed marriage moving on to a new one. Professionally, Mr Ahern admits that the banks were irresponsible but he is adamant that the global econom- ic turmoil was responsible for Irelands current woes. He said: Charlie McCreevy and myself always thought it was manageable to bring it [property] from the high down to the medium without it being a disaster. But what happened was the financial crisis came in and the world trade collapsed. Meanwhile, he did not rule out a run for the ras, say- ing he hadnt made up his mind on the Presidency. By joanne ahern Never-wed-again-Bertie up for lark in the Park? the graPe escaPe revellers play in grape pulp during the annual grape battle in Binissalem on the island of Mallorca. The fiesta is held every year to mark the harvest Picture: Reuters Christmas comes early for shoppers ALMOST half of shoppers have already started buying Christmas presents. Of 8,000 consumers surveyed, 48 per cent said they had already started buying presents in an attempt to spread the cost of the festive season. And more than ten per cent said they wouldnt be sending any Christmas cards in an attempt to save money. UK retailer Asda, who commissioned the survey, said many customers had started their festive shopping earlier than normal. christmas comes early for shoppers TEACHERS, doctors, accountants and construction workers are among the professionals being urged to attend an information fair in Dublin on volunteering with aid agencies abroad.The Irish Aid Volunteering and Information Centre on OConnell Street will host the fair, which will see some 24 charitable organisations come together next Saturday to attract skilled talent to work in developing countries. Tara Finglas from Dublin is several months into a years posting in Malawi with Unicef. Im all for promoting volunteering, she said. Its a great way for people to do something worthwhile with their time, honing their skills and experience at the same time. Orla Fagan from Bray left a promising career in RT in 2007 to take up a volunteer role with the UN in Sierra Leone. I always enjoyed my work in RT, said Ms Fagan, but I have a sense now that Im contributing something back. Around 5,000 Irish volunteers go on short-term placements every year. Construction workers, nurses, engineers and physiotherapists are just some of the talents in demand. Aid agency volunteers wanted to work abroad index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html