History will judge Haughey kindly, son tells mourners

Historians will cast Charles Haughey in a much more positive light than his media critics, said one of his sons today at the former Taoiseach’s state funeral.

Sean Haughey, himself a TD in his father’s former constituency, used his reflection at the funeral mass to restore the reputation of the ex-Fianna Fail leader’s sometimes controversial public life.

The speech was marked by humour and greeted with warm applause throughout from the 2000 mourners who packed inside the Church of Our Lady of Consolation, in Donnycarney, north Dublin.

“In recent years his critics in the media have dominated the debate about my father. I’ve absolutely no doubt that historians will be a lot more positive about my father’s legacy,” he said.

“It is clear to me too, that the people as a whole always had a much more balanced view of his political life.

“My father loved people. He had a deep and genuine interest in people. He genuinely loved talking to people, listening to people, engaging with people and meeting people.

“I believe this quality distinguished him from many other politicians.”

He said that first and foremost Mr Haughey was a great father and grandfather and had passed on to his family many great characteristics, including “an awareness of nature, a feel for the sea, a practical respect for the environment, an appreciation of all things French and, of course, a deep love of the Irish nation.”

He said: “He always said to us that there is nobody from which you can’t learn something. He had a wide range of interests and could speak with authority on almost every subject to the people he came in contact with .

“As he moved throughout the country, meeting all sorts of people, during the course of his long political career, and on into his retirement, my mother used to say: ‘It would seemed everybody hates Charlie Haughey except the people.”’

The remarks drew laughter and applause from the congregation. One of Mr Haughey’s grandchildren shed tears.

“From the day he retired as Taoiseach, right through his trials and tribulations, and during his long illness, up to the time of his death, he received thousands of letters from people all over the country and from all walks of life, wishing him well, promising him prayers and thanking him for things he did during his many years of public service.

“I don’t think that happens to many politicians.” Again, applause reverberated around the large parish church.

“The letters – all of which were replied to personally – came from artists, writers, archaeologists, horse breeders, third-level students, entrepreneurs, trade unionists, widows, retired public servants, northern nationalists, his former constituents in Dublin north central, but above all from pensioners, thanking him for the free travel.

“I know it’s a cliché but my father could truly be described as a man of the people. The welfare of people was his political priority.

“The speech my father made in Dáil Éireann on his last day as Taoiseach concluded with the statement: he served the people, all of the people, to the best of his ability – and that is absolutely true,” he concluded.