It seems there were major disagreements within Garret FitzGerald’s government in the early 1980s when it came to making a decision about what to do with struggling industries in the Cork Harbour area.

The Irish government lavished Zimbabwean premier Robert Mugabe with gifts during his visit to Dublin in 1983, newly declassified files reveal.

While taoiseach in 1982 Charles Haughey fulfilled the invitation to the White House for St Patrick’s Day that had been extended to his predecessor Garret Fitz-Gerald. Mr Haughey then invited the president to Ireland on a state visit.