Great character who helped repair reputation of politics
For many he spoke before thinking and he often appeared to glory in gratuitous combat. But the reality is that over the years many of Jim Mitchell’s critics were not fit to lace his boots.
He was one of the great characters of Irish politics over the past quarter-century, with a strong commitment to representing the people of Dublin to the best of his considerable
ability The most striking things about Jim Mitchell were his kindness, generosity and good humour, personal traits which at times belied his tough public image. He rarely shrank from conflict and had many rows with other politicians and journalists, including this writer. But he also had a great ability to move on to the next business in hand without a grudge.
In 1997 he decided to quit politics. He felt he’d had enough. When he relented many of his friends thought him crazy. They felt that, even if Fine Gael returned to power, Big Jim was unlikely to get a Cabinet job given his forthright public comments about party leader John Bruton’s shortcomings.
But in those final five years, and despite the illness that claimed him yesterday, he was to have his finest hour. The political impetus he gave the Dáil Public Accounts Committee inquiry into banks’ tax cheating practices, coupled with his clarity of recall for the minutest detail in those inquiries, did much to repair the reputation of politics and politicians.
Yesterday, a former PAC colleague, and no stranger to controversy himself, former Fianna Fáil TD Sean Doherty, said the best way to honour Jim Mitchell s memory would be to restore the investigative powers to parliamentary committees which were struck down by the courts.
There was more than a ring of truth to the myriad tributes paid Jim Mitchell yesterday from right across the political spectrum. Fittingly, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, for long a keen constituency and Dáil rival, led the field. He said Mr Mitchell had made an outstanding contribution to Irish politics. Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny and former leaders and Taoisigh John Bruton and Garret FizGerald were also generous in their praise. There were tributes also from Labour, the Green Party, Sinn Féin and the independents.
Leinster House has been a quieter, duller, poorer place since Jim Mitchell lost his Dáil seat in the election last May due to a combination of factors including boundary changes, pressure of PAC work and illness. Yesterday, Irish politics was further diminished by his untimely death at the age of 56.
To his wife Patsy, his children, his brother Deputy Gay Mitchell and all his other family members and friends we extend our heart-felt sympathy.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam cróga dhílis.
