Slowly but surely, the outlook on the 'feel good' front seems to be getting brighter.

In not so olden times, 1st February was regarded as the first day of Spring, now it's 20th March but there is a definite spring in people's step.

To start with, the annual events are beginning to loom large, Feis Fhearmanach for instance. The GAA and the 'Six Nations' rugby season got under way last week-end, well, nearly in Fermanagh's case.

Come next month, a local firm will begin construction of a £9m replacement Skills Training Centre in Enniskillen to better serve the 500 apprentices who are based there. At its peak, the construction will give employment to over 100 people. More are expected to be engaged in one of a number of Fermanagh District Council capital works contracts, the foremost being the £1.3m refurbishment of the Lakeland Forum and a top of the range recycling plant at Drummee in which the Council is investing £1.7m alone.

These are all 'feel good' events that, taken together, give a timely boost to low morale after a dull end to 2007.