With the dawning Of the 21st century, and buoyed up by the benefits of the Celtic Tiger and the Good Friday Agreement, hopes for and aspirations about a New Ireland have taken root. So who are the shapers of that New Ireland, its inflential agenda-setters?

In a previous issue we list the 10 most influential: women. So what of the men! Who are the male movers and shakers of an Ireland emerging from the shadow, legacy and detritus of one that since the foundation Of the State has borne the unmistakable marks of three pivotal institutions - the Catholic Church, Fianna Fail and the GAA?

Despite scandals and setbacks, all three are still forces to be reckoned with. And all three will continue to help to shape the Ireland of the next decade, albeit in a manner different to that which they did in the past, because all three have and must continue to metamorphose.

Precisly because of the role played by these three institutions, one might contend that in terms of both innuence and power the focus should be on organizations and corporate entities rather than individuals.

As against that, there would be no institutions without individuals. And anyway, on the wider stage of world history, we can take a lesson from the fact that there is a general consensus that the shapers of that history were charismatic figures such as Christ, Copernicus, Luther, Napoleon, Manr, Lenin, Churchill, FDR, Stalin and Hitler, rather than any institutions or organizations associated with them.

Our focus, therefore, is on individuals. The ten men I have chosen range from a rock singer to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Gourt, from a newspaper tycoon to a theologian.

They might well be called the influential agenda-setters of the Ireland of 2002, but influence is Such a difficult concept to pin down that some will quibble with this definition, just as others will quibble with the list of 10 itself.

Compiling a list of "influence wielders" is bound to be a provocation, so if our list provokes debate in addition to planting ideas, then that will be a welcome bonus.

To have influence is not necessarily to have power, and vice versa. In fact, the exercise of power can be entirely divorced from influence, while this doesn't always work the other way around.

Ben Dunne has power. Roddy Doyle has influence. Ben Dunne has the power to hire and fire, to open or close supermarkets, to take-workers on or to lay them off. Roddy Doyle, through novels like The Commitments, Tne Van and Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, exercises a more subtle effect on us and our culture. He can make us laugh or cry offer insights into who we are and how we relate to others, affect our definition of Irishness.

Because influence is not the same as power the official political establisment - centered on Leinster House and its environs has been largely ignored in this list of agenda-setters. So the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, is excluded, just as, on the same criteria, President George W. Bush would be excluded from an American list. It might, though, include his predecessor, Bill Clinton who, though now shorn of power, still exercises real influence.

Although our size, or lack of it, and our relative isolation on the edge of Europe, mean Ireland is not a key player on the EU or world stages on economic and political matters, we have made our presence felt in cultural and sporting terms.

Seamus Heaney's Nobel Prize for Literature means he joins the likes of WB Yeats in that illustrious category. Musically one thinks of U2, Van Morrison, Christy Moore and Shane McGowan of The Pogues, and on the sporting front names like Ron Delany, Eamon Coghlan, Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche, Roy Keane, Steve Collins and Barry McGuigan come immediately to mind.

But it is influence at home rather than fame that is our main concern here. Perhaps the best illustration of the distinction between power and influence is by way of a story from Kremlin. When an aide told Stalin that the Pope could be a formidable opponent of the USSR, the Soviet dictator retorted: "How many divisions does the Pope have?"

The men we have listed here do not command armies, but, in their own way, they are hugely influential within the Irish context.

AJF O'Reilly (66). From the day he bought control of Independent Newspapers in 1973 for IR 1.1 Million, the influence of the former Irish rugby international was in the ascendant. O'Reilly also owns the Belfast Telegraph and the British Independent, as well as newspapers in South Africa and Australia. He is a noted horse breeder and a benefactor of many universities. At the beginning of last year, Sir Anthony was awarded a knighthood for his work with the Ireland Fund.

Bono (42). The lead singer with rock band U2, Bono (AKA Paul Hewson) has followed the example of the late Princess Diana and Bob Geldof in using his fame to highlight global issues. Instead of landmines and famine, be has focused on abolition of Third World debt. Although dismissed by some as a goody two-shoes, Bono is now listened to in the corridors of power, with entree to such diverse figures as President Bush, Kofi Annan of the UN, and the Pope.

Peter Cassells (53). Now with the National Centre for Partnership and Performance, CasseIls was general secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) from 1989 to 2001, and has been one of the architects of the social partnership deals that, since the early 1990s, have energized the Irish economy. Known for his shrewdness and conciliatory approach and leadership, he is a born deal-maker. He continues to be a key player on the labor relations front and in the shaping of socio-economic policy.

Pat Kenny (49). As the successor to Gay Byrne on The Late Late Show, Kenny, who also presents a hugely popular daily radio program, could be said to be Ireland's equivalent of Larry King. Between TV and radio, he reaches a huge audience. Naomi Campbell once used his TV show to announce her engagement. Pat has always been better than Caybo at handling "heavy" interviews. Now Ireland's highest-paid broadcaster.

Liam Mulvihill(56). Next to the Catholic Church, the GAA is the only true all-Ireland organization, with clubs in every parish of the country, north and south. Although primarily a sporting and cultural body, the GAA has considerable political "muscle", and this is exercised mainly by and through Mulvihill, its director-general since 1979. The former teacher deserves the lion's share of the credit for the IR100m redevelopment that has transformed Croke Park into a worldclass stadium.

Coner Brady (55). Whoever edits The Irish Times wields enormous influence. By year's end, there will be a new editor. But Coner Brady will be a hard act to follow. Appointed in 1986, he is the first Catholic to hold the position, and be poured resources into the editorial side, opening offices in Beijing and New York. Although many staff blame Brady for the financial crisis that almost overwhelmed the paper last year and cost 200 jobs, in his 16 years at the helm he beefed up the circulation, prestige and profile of the paper.

Michael Smurfit (66). The multi-millionaire CEO of the Jefferson Smurfit Group is living proof of the old adage that money talks. And when Smurfit talks the great and the good of the land take notice. Corporate Ireland has bad enormous influence on government policy since the foundation of the State. From tax breaks to deregulation, the captains of industry have never been shy about laying out their stall for politicians. Nobody epitomizes this more than Smurfit, who also owns the world-famous K-Club, which will play host to the Ryder Cup in 2006.

Michael Berkery (54). Nobody- least of all politicians - doubts the clout of the Irish Farmers Association. They are the most effective lobby group in the country, and this is due in no small measure to Berkery. The Toomevara man has been TFA general secretary since 1983. He was also responsible for opening an IFA office in Brussels to ensure that the interests of Irish farmers are protected in any re-negotiation of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) as the European Union fares enlargement.

Ronan Keane (70). Appointed to the Supreme Court in 1996, Keane became Chieflustice at the begin ning of 2000. The Court - like its US counterpart - has since the mid 1960s handed down a number of landmarks judgments that have impacted on Irish society. The Keane Court continues in that tradition. The name of the Judge's estranged wife, columnist Terry Keane (they separated in 1983), had been romantically linked for years to that of Charles J. Haughey, the former Taoiseach.

Rev. Professor Enda McDonagh (71). As Professor of Moral Theology at Maynooth, the Tuam man established an international reputation. At present he is also a member of the Governing Body of UCC, and he was chaplain to Mary Robinson during her seven years as President of Ireland. One of the country's fore most intellectuals, McDonagh's advice and counsel is sought by some of the most powerful in the land, including at ]east one former Taoiseach. Were it not for his liberal views, he would probably be a Cardinal now.