NOVELIST, JUSTICE MINISTER… and, now, apparently, table tennis aficionado.

Alan Shatter has been visiting Irish troops in Lebanon as the 108th UNIFIL Battalion prepares to fly home following the conclusion of a six-month tour-of-duty.

There was a ceremony today to mark the change-over of personnel.

Along with his typical duties  — inspecting the troops, watching flags being handed-over — the veteran Dublin South politician also made time in his busy schedule to take on the Irish Army at table tennis.

There’s no word from the Defence Forces on who won — or whether the Minister laid down his ping-pong challenge to the entire Battalion.

From the looks of it though, the Fine Gael TD tackled the encounter in a typically no-nonsense Shatter-esque manner.

What do you reckon’s being said? Answers below, please.

Update 8.25pm: A Defence Forces source tells us the Minister won. No surprise, really: turns out he’s a pretty experienced player. From AlanShatter.ie:  ”Alan played League Table Tennis  for some years with Dundrum Table Tennis Club”.

[Defence Forces Press]