Charlie is still the darling down Dingle way
He doesn’t fire a starting gun anymore and these days Charlie just raises a red flag to set the Naomhoga boats in motion. Not even the celebrations that followed the Cork and Kerry match could stop a large crowd from spilling out of Dingle’s bars to meet the former Taoiseach.
While the days of gunfire are long gone the boats still move, and the public applaud, when Charlie raises his hand. Men, women and children pushed and shoved to have a word with him after he emerged from the Waterside Restaurant close to the pier in Dingle just after 5pm.
He might be known to younger generations at the man who begot the tribunal phenomenon but Dingle people will always love him it seems. His movements are slower than they were in the glory days, but there’s something about Charlie raising the flag that continues to capture the public imagination.
“It’s amazing the amount of people who come here to see Charlie Haughey,” regatta official Ted Creedon said. But Charlie was never one to play the media game too much and when the snappers repeatedly asked him to pose with the red flag, he retorted, “Christ what do you think I am? A flag pole.” His yacht the Celtic Mist has been moored in Dingle harbour since Mr Haughey and co came in from his Island retreat two days ago. Looking very dapper in his navy blazer and blue shirt the retired politician seemed relaxed. There was no light banter with the media however.
His friend Michael O’Sullivan said Charlie just wanted to enjoy the day. “We had a great evening and we must pay compliments to the proprietor of the restaurant Jane Miller who served us superb food.”
