1.Best: Rescue of Chilean miners -- no doubt about it , if you didn’t feel a deep emotion and connection as a human being when the first miner was rescued then you didn’t have an empathetic bone in your body. A great moment.

Chile miner rescue the good news story of the decade - VIDEO

Worst: Britain offering to help bail out Ireland in its financial crisis . Bad enough to have the IMF involved but the British!

British step in and offer help to Ireland - SEE VIDEO

2. Best: Iniesta scoring winning goal for Spain in World Cup. All through the tournmanent they had tried to play the beautiful game despite numerous attempts to hatchet them, especially by Holland in the final.

World Cup wrap A to Z

Worst: Michael Vick, who tortured dogs and made them fight to the death returning as some kind of football hero with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Tom Brady versus Michael Vick - no contest for NFL MVP title

3. Best: Archbishop Diarmuid Martin accepting total responsibility for the dreadful pedophlle excesses in the Archdiocese of Dublin. Finally a  senior church figure who stood up and was counted.

Irish president comes out in support of Dublin Archbishop

Worst: The details surrounding the worst pedophile of all ,Antony Walsh raping little boys on the altar and playing Elvis music to drown out their screams

Priest played Elvis music to drown child's screams

4. Best: Green Party announcing they were pulling out of the Irish government and causing an election. None was never more badly needed.

Irish General Election called after Greens pull out

Worst: Increasing evidence that no one will be prosecuted for Ireland’s mad excess of greed and corruption.

Developer Gerry Gannon still owes NAMA $1.3 billion

5. Best: A beautiful Irish summer which stretched  on and on and never seemed to end.

Ireland’s ‘heat wave’ and droughts to become the norm

Worst: The foul winter weather at the start of 2010 and again at the end causing air travel and traffic chaos.

It’s official, coldest winter in 130 years in Ireland - SEE PHOTOS