‘Divilment’ smile in Charlie’s final repose

EVEN in death, Charlie maintained his renown for a certain sense of mischief, which some might even call defiance.

As close friends and neighbours gathered in north Dublin yesterday to pay their respects, many visitors couldn’t fail to observe that his face still sported a knowing grin, as his remains were laid out in his beloved Abbeville home.

Maybe it wasn’t quite as enigmatic a pose as that of the Mona Lisa, but coming as it did on his death bed, it provided a reassuring sign to the people who had remained friends with Haughey throughout his chequered career.