THE announcement by Bank of Scotland that it is closing its Irish operations is shocking! I am not sure what, if anything, could be done to stop them closing up shop here, but it is truly shocking that they can just walk away from the mess they created. We are all very annoyed with our Irish banks and how they have bankrupted themselves and severely damaged our economy.

But Bank of Scotland (Ireland) is the worst culprit, in my view, at causing the overheating in our economy in one area at least.

With its excessive, aggressive and feckless lending in the hotel sector it has almost destroyed one of our finest industries, Tourism.

Just look at Irish Tourism and how strong it has become since the 1980s. Yes, tourism numbers are down in recent years because we priced ourselves out of the market but the sector can win back that business.

The phenomenal success of Ryanair opened a gateway to our country. Look at all our fine hotels, the best in Europe. Think of all the wonderful visitor centres we have created at the nation's heritage sites. Look at our capital and see thousands every week on open top bus tours, or doing amphibious Viking splashes or visiting the Guinness Storehouse.

Feel the buzz in Galway. Smell the food in Kinsale. Be charmed in Kerry. Every time you see a tourist you are also seeing, possibly, €1,000 being contributed directly to our national coffers.

But now we have far too many hotels and the industry is in turmoil and Bank of Scotland was the main player in the hotel sector.

When a third new hotel opened in Limerick some years back the city was then well served with a range of good hotels for the foreseeable future. But Bank of Scotland (Ireland), in its drive into the tourism and hotel market, funded five more hotels in Limerick alone. All eight new hotels in the city are now struggling. It is the same all over the country.

And now they are closing up shop, providing no working capital to the businesses they encouraged to expand. It is not so much a case of ' laughing all the way to the bank' as crying all the way back to the parent bank in the UK and leaving the mess behind them

here in Ireland.

GAA & HERITAGE

WEEK

My role as a Celebrity Bainisteoir came to an abrupt end at the weekend with a crushing defeat to Kilconly of Galway, managed by Breffni Morgan. Well done Breffni. I am heartbroken for my lads, the players of North Louth club, Roche Emmets.

Despite that, it was a fantastic experience and I loved being really involved, not just with the team, but with the club. Even though we were well beaten by a better team I would do it all over again because I love GAA.

The GAA often gets unfairly criticised but as an institution has it not been one of the main creators, contributors and protectors of our national heritage?

Heritage is not just the built environment it is also our culture, our sense of community and our unique Irish identity. Few organisations have contributed more to our heritage and helped define it than the GAA.

The opening of Croke Park to other codes saw a maturing of the Association – moving it to become a more inclusive one and being magnanimous. Of course, the local club still has to compete with soccer and rugby but there is less of the 'us against the rest' mentality that dogged the GAA over the years. In my view the local club and its grounds is the significant piece of heritage in any parish or local community.

So in this National Heritage Week don't forget to support the events to help celebrate it locally. You'll get details of the various activities elsewhere here in the paper. If, over the next while, you are driving by a local GAA pitch, reflect on how it and the GAA have contributed to our local heritage.

Back to losing my Celebrity Bainisteoir game. It is amazing when you lose the number of people who genuinely believe they are consoling you when they say, 'it is only a game of football'. How come they never say that when they are enthusiastically celebrating a win?

THE APPRENTICE

I love being able to give readers of this column an exclusive. It is more gossip than news this time, but even so I have to be careful not to let the cat out of the bag entirely.

As I write I am, literally, on the set of The Apprentice with Bill Cullen. As usual I have been asked to grill the final four candidates in job interviews. I then have to recommend which two should go through to the final. I am delighted that the final tough decision ultimately rests with Bill.

Unlike in the first and second series, this year there is no daylight between the final four candidates. In fact I can reveal all four have been on seven winning teams in the tasks. It is neck and neck as they start the home run and the decision is going to be very tough.

And Bill is not in a good mood this year. Clearly he is getting fed up with weaker candidates who get on the show because they have a great personality, but actually possess hardly any real business acumen. A tougher, more aggressive Bill will be seen this year with more power than ever. He can fire people at will, which will keep the candidates on their toes knowing that they might hear 'you're fired' if they dare to open their mouths!

The Rose of Tralee is on, the kids are back at school next week, and The Apprentice returns. The summer – what a great one it was – is drawing to a close.

- Gavin Duffy