A deserved moment for the people’s politician

THE irony was immediately obvious: Bertie Ahern finished his address by talking of beginnings, yet he is now into his final days in office.

“In history, in politics and in life, there are no ends, only new beginnings. So let us begin,” he told the joint houses of Congress in an echo of John F Kennedy’s inaugural address in 1961.

Next Tuesday, Mr Ahern will resign, his tribunal troubles having finally caught up with him, forcing him out of office at least a year before he was prepared to go.