Ahern clarifies Haughey ‘compliment’

CHARLIE HAUGHEY’S infamous description of Bertie Ahern as “the most skilful, most devious, most cunning of them all” was meant as a compliment and not a criticism, the Taoiseach has insisted.

The late Mr Haughey made the remark shortly after the conclusion of negotiations between Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats to form a government in 1989.

The comment was made in the context of Mr Ahern brokering a successful outcome to the negotiations, which had proved immensely difficult for several reasons.