Haughey will never be remembered as a great statesman

Letter in today’s Irish Independent.

It is grotesquely hilarious to witness the Haughey family receiving an apology from an estate agent because it mistakenly claimed that Libyan dictator Colonel Gaddafi and Margaret Thatcher had visited the former Taoiseach’s home in Kinsealy.

It appears that the family is concerned that the former Taoiseach’s reputation could be sullied if associated with these particular people.

Whatever about Col Gaddafi’s reputation Mrs Thatcher’s good name would certainly be damaged by any association with the disgraced former Taoiseach.

The policies and politics of Mrs Thatcher can, and are, rejected by a great many people but it cannot be denied that she was a leader of courage and principles who worked selflessly for the good of her country and people.

Mr Haughey, on the other hand, abused political power to enrich himself at the expense of the Irish people.

Mr Haughey had three overweening ambitions in life — money, power and the hope that he would be remembered as a great statesman.

He succeeded in the first two but will never achieve the third.

Anthony Sheridan
Cobh,
Co Cork