Bitter taste as controversial doctor leaves the House

THE exit of Jim McDaid was in keeping with his career, his public persona and his political path. It left a bitter taste.

As a politician he mixed compassion and personal charm with an unfortunate appetite for self-destruction.

First elected in 1989, he was put on a fast track to the pinnacle of Fianna Fáil. But his speedy appointment to Cabinet was taken from under his nose. On the day of his appointment as Minister for Defence revelations broke about his sympathies with a member of the IRA. It took him six years to get another opportunity.