I DON'T shock easily, but I was staggered by the photographs of Charlotte Mulhall on the front of this newspaper last week.

The explosive Herald picture was a shocking indictment of the prison service in this country.

Here was a woman who was a key figure in one of the most shocking slayings in recent history; a murder in which a man was dismembered, chopped into smithereens.

And here was this young lady throwing scorn on the horrific crimes for which she was properly jailed for.

In a chilling mockery of the murder of Farah Swaleh Noor, a smiling Charlotte was shown holding a knife against the throat of inmate Denis Gibney.

Charlotte's sister Linda was convicted of the manslaughter of Noor, and together the pair became known as the Scissor Sisters in a trial that held the nation in morbid fascination.

The full sickening details of the murder unfolded but the head of the unfortunate victim has never been recovered.

They say a picture tells a thousand words and this is surely one photograph that proves that statement.

Disturbed

First of all, it demonstrates that Charlotte Mulhall is a deeply disturbed individual. It also shows that she hasn't a trace of remorse for her awful crime.

The photograph begs answers to many questions.

Number one, where were the prison officers who were supposed to be supervising these prisoners when this photograph was taken? Who took the photograph? Why, of all prisoners in the Dochas prison in Mountjoy, was Charlotte Mulhall allowed unfettered and unsupervised access to deadly knives?

And why was it was necessary to allow male prisoners into the kitchen of the women's prison?

Again, you begin to wonder if all control has been lost when prisoners are allowed to take part in this bizarre exhibition.

Mountjoy prison governor John Lonergan is a decent, humane and enlightened person. However, conditions in Mountjoy Prison are Dickensian and deplorably inadequate. Because of the overcrowding and slopping out, it is like a tinderbox or a pressure cooker waiting to explode. Despite these difficulties, the buck must stop with the governor.

As a matter of urgency, the prison service needs to carry out an in-depth and urgent inquiry into the incident in order to assess the deteriorating situation in the prison.

Above all, it surely poses questions about John Lonergan's stewardship and control of this institution. He must take responsibility for good order.

There is no doubt that the prison officers have an unenviable, thankless and dangerous task. In the latest riots, a number of prison officers were injured when trying to enforce a stricter security regime.

This is only the latest in a long catalogue of troubles that has beset the prison system. We've had the infamous phone call of convicted armed robber John Daly, who engaged in a tirade on Joe Duffy's Liveline from a cell in Portlaoise prison.

Daly ultimately paid the price and more, as he was shot dead after his release from prison.

Hundreds of mobile phones have been seized during searches of prisons around the country, despite the fact that those convicted of possessing a mobile phone face a five-year sentence.

More recently, convicted drug baron John Gilligan, who led the gang that murdered journalist Veronica Guerin, is in solitary confinement after giving two interviews to Hot Press magazine about the case.

Empires

Gardai are well aware that many criminals serving long terms are running drug empires and orchestrating murder campaigns through the use of mobile phones behind bars.

Also, it's well known that prisons are awash with drugs. It's proving almost an impossible task for prison officers who face violent rebellion from inmates when they try to stamp out the use of phones.

Still, the old adage still holds. If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen -- no pun intended! Governor John Lonergan must take full responsibility for what goes on in his prison. A respected American penologist once said that people go to prison as punishment, not for punishment. Looking at this photograph of a smiling Charlotte Mulhall, no one would believe that Irish prisons offer any form of punishment whatsoever.

We should box clever with Olympic investment

THANK God for our boxers to rescue our nation from an otherwise abysmal Olympics.

These sportsmen are our new national heroes after bringing Olympic glory to this fair isle.

For the second Olympics in a row our equestrian team have cast a dark shadow over the games, so why not cut them loose next time, and invest in other areas of sport.

Our medal haul in Bejing includes a bronze medal each for Paddy Barnes and Darren Sutherland and a glorious silver for team captain Kenny Egan who, many pundits believe, should have claimed the gold.

It's an outstanding achievement and one of which we should all be deeply proud. They're the pride of the nation and deserved a hero's welcome on their return home.

Sports Minister Martin Cullen is quite correct in calling for an in-depth study before the 2012 Olympics. He wants to concentrate on those sports where we can win medals on the world and Olympic stages.

However, stories that he and other dignitaries were able to fly first class to the games whilst our athletes had to languish in the cheap seats are disturbing.

We're not going to produce sprinters like Usain Bolt so we should concentrate our efforts on those disciplines where we have a realistic chance of medals.

While the closing ceremony was getting underway in Beijing on Sunday, closer to home another drama was unfolding in Croke Park.

An extraordinary and intriguing encounter between old footballing rivals Cork and Kerry ended in a draw, probably one of the biggest upsets in Gaelic football I've ever seen.

But the biggest losers on the day were the eejits who opted for the exits long before the final minutes of the drama unfolded.

Don't let Kerry landslide bury issues

DUBLINERS have every right to be a bit gloomy this weather. What with the Dubs going out of the All-Ireland and the dull August skies, there hasn't been much to cheer about.

Well count yourselves lucky you don't live in Lyrecrompane in Kerry, where 25 acres of bogland slid into the local river last weekend.

Yesterday, I went to view for myself the scene that had made the news. It was only when I saw it with my own eyes that I realised the full extent of the devastation.

I spoke to an old man who told of waking last Friday to a noise that sounded like the end of the world. He found the road close to his house simply swept away.

Now he -- along with his neighbours -- are holding their breaths that further rains won't come.

Some have expressed suspicions that this catastrophe was initiated by recent activity on the mountain with the building of wind turbines.

Looking at this aftermath, I think serious questions must be asked about the installation of wind farms in delicate ecological systems.

Despite the voracious appetite for cheap energy we cannot purchase it at any cost. What I have seen is a price too high.

Seoige sister act makes for a very cosy winter indeed

I MUST be getting soft in my old age, but I'm getting a little excited about the Seoige sisters debut together on RTE.

While I was a fan of Joe O'Shea, I certainly think that Sile Seoige will brighten up the old SOS format, which is now simply entitled Seoige.

RTE's new sister act will certainly keep many of our red-blooded males glued to their television screens during the gloomy winter afternoons this year.

And if the latest RTE Guide Vanity Fair style shots are anything to go by, we are heading for what should be a very cosy few winter months indeed.

- Gerry O'Carroll