Sunday, June 18, 2006

Goodbye Charlie

While some focus on the negative aspects of his life, one cannot deny the value of the achievements that Charles J. Haughey made to the state during his many tumultuous years in office. The Succession Act, The Extradition Act, The reactivation Special Criminal Court, the end to the IRA's border campaign and free travel and subsidised electricity for OAP's and tax exemptions for artists and the disabled. His budget cutting measures after 1987 transformed the economy and paved the way for an unprecedented decade of economic boom and the Celtic Tiger era of the late 1990s and he was also responsible for one of the greatest economic benefits to the country, the International Financial Services Centre.

On Friday June 16th 2006 the country said goodbye to one of it's most loved and famous political figures in a state funeral attended by thousands of mourners. I myself mourned the passing of a man, to whom the invasion of Northern Ireland by the Irish Army was his proposed solution to the Northern troubles in the late 1960's.

Goodbye Charlie.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Remember when the AIB politely asked could he possible beginning paying back the three million he borrowed.

He's reponse, "Do You know who I am?, I could be a dangerous enemy."

A week later, he was Taoiseach, and the debt was written off.

You've got to give the guy points for style.

Major General Creedon said...

Aye! You don't see that in our politicians nowadays, they're all 'samey' with no outstanding qualities.

There are no risk takers and heartbreakers like Charlie in the cabinet. You won't see them spending 8 million of Dunne’s money on shirts and high class restaurants. No, the most devious thing they do is misuse the government jet and don't bother with planning permission for their house extensions.

Anonymous said...

You're hair is too long Sir. When wearing the Blue Dress your grooming should be above standard.

Anonymous said...

Guns, get back on topic, we're remembering the Son of God Himself, CJ, here.

Colonel, discipline that man.

Remember the story of how CJ chewed out that hapless backbencher so much that the witless moron couldn't find his way out of CJ's office. So the Boss told to Use The Fuckin' Window, What other leader spoke with such elequence?