Paul Kimmage began his contribution to the Last Word tonight by saying he was worried he was running out of things to rant about.
Then up pops a statement from Minister for Sport Shane Ross. And lo, his ship had come in.
Ross, and his junior minister Patrick O'Donovan, released a statement paying tribute to the work Pat Lam has done in Connacht and wishing him well in Bristol.
Connacht rugby under the stewardship of Pat Lam has gone from strength to strength, culminating in their magnificent victory in last season's Pro12 tournament final over Leinster. It has been absolutely inspiring to watch Connacht's steady progression and I would like to thank Pat for the dedication and leadership he has shown to the team during his time at Connacht. I wish him the very best of luck in his new role at Bristol which begins next year.
These were the words of Rosser and they wound Paul Kimmage up something chronic.
During his first stint at the Sunday Independent back in the 1990s and early 2000s, Paul used to have a desk in the same office as Shane Ross.
He concluded from this experience that Shane Ross knew a lot about business but nothing about sport.
The minister's statement typifies what Kimmage believes is the silly national frenzy which has resulted from Pat Lam's decision to bid adieu to Galway.
Kimmage is minded to ask Ross whether he issues a press release thanking his toilet cleaner whenever they do a bang-up job.
I used to sit with Shane Ross in my first incarnation at the Sunday Independent and it was very obvious to me that while he was very good at business, he hadn't a clue about sport. And since he has taken over that role we've had examples of that in spades.
This is a nonsense. Pat Lam is doing his job. Does Shane Ross send out a statement every time someone cleans his toilet?
This is what he's paid he do. He was paid to do a job. He did a good job. And he's gone somewhere else to do a better job.
I'm amazed at the nationwide gnashing of teeth at Pat Lam going. Everything in professional rugby has a price. You want a ticket for the Six Nations game against England next year? Tickets are already going for 1600 quid. You want to watch Ireland play the All Blacks in Chicago? That'll be EirSport, thanks very much.
If you're asking to me feel sorry for him or pay tribute to him, I'm not doing it.
He also quoted Brendan Fanning's memorable line about Lam needing to invest in heavy duty trousers to pocket all the money that Bristol will be pushing in his direction.
You can listen to Kimmage letting loose at 22 minutes in.
