There were so many dubious defenses thrown up by Bertie Ahern’s teary performance during yesterday’s television interview, that one would have to devote a dozen blogs to demolishing them.

Yet here’s one angle that I have yet to hear amid all the cant about our leader being basically a salt-of-the-earth bloke: can you recall the last time you borrowed money from a friend? It doesn’t have to be a noble “debt of honour” (whatever the hell that means) but merely 50 euro passed on during a night on the town or the price of a airfare booked for a joint trip abroad. How long did you wait before paying your friend back? A couple of days, a few weeks? Certainly 13 years would not have to elapse before you coughed up what was owed. Why? Because real friendship, as opposed to mere cronyism, cannot bear too much financial strain. Normally, those owing wish to clear the debt as soon as possible. Sheer considerateness is one factor, but there’s also the recognition that running up debts to one’s circle is a very quick way to poison relationships.

So how could Bertie look in the eye his “friends”, to whom he owed tens of thousands of euros? The obvious explanation is that these “helpers” were not genuine friends, but astute investors who judged throwing a few grand Bertie’s way would pay off in the long term. One doubts they were naive enough to believe that the loans would be repaid in the most obvious way–out of Bertie’s own back pocket.

Ahern mentioned “honour” plenty of times yesterday. If he retains even a faint notion of what the word signifies, he will resign.