A History Lesson

You Tell Me

In the early nineteen sixties, Charles Haughey was minister for finance, I believe, or perhaps, minister for agriculture. Eamonn Andrews was the most successful Irishman on British television, and was involved in the setting up of Ireland's national television station, R.T.E., becoming its director, or one of its directors, I am a bit hazy as to details.

However, Andrews must have said publicly that he and his wife were hoping for a baby, and had been trying for some years, without success, or words to that effect.

Both men were at some function when Haughey spoke the following words to Eamonn Andrews: "Send your wife to me and she will have a baby". Andrews punched him, giving our future Taoiseach a black eye.

Is this true? It was all over Dublin at the time, and was hinted at in at least one newspaper. The question was, why was Haughey lying low, and refusing to answer questions as to how he had got a black eye. (The words above may not be verbatim, but they are true in essence, if the story is true, which is what I am asking you).

If the story is true, why is it not in the history books? Should it not be taught in schools? Could scholars pore over this story, becoming saints in the process, and could Ireland become a land of saints and scholars again, all because of Charlie, whom we "rise and follow"? Again, I ask merely for information.

There is much good that can be said about Haughey. He brought in free bus travel and free television licenses for old age pensioners, the succession act (which stopped bastard husbands leaving their widows nothing after forty years of service to the family), small farmers are grateful to him for grants and he founded the I.S.F.C., which created many highly paid jobs and contributed, I think, ten per cent to the country's turnover. He brought in the artists' tax exemption and said to Frederick Forsyth, the Irish resident author of The Day of the Jackal, "I didn't bring it in for fuckers like you".

It has been said of Haughey that he was a crook. But this may be said about him, he was very good at being good and very good at being bad. As regards being a crook, he dealt with Maggie Thatcher, with her vast array of advisors and diplomats. When someone said of Richard Nixon that he was a crook, the reply was "We want our crooks to be better than their crooks".

He should win the brass neck award for asking us to tighten our belts while wearing a Charvet shirt costing four hundred pounds.

He had imagination, he was creative, he would have dealt effectively with our present recession and he leaves the current lot of politicians in the ha'penny place.

God rest you, Charlie, Eamonn, and he who told me the story at the time.

David ****