Fergus Finlay: We made a bags of the 1986 divorce referendum

Garret Fitzgerald's 'constitutional crusade' came crashing down in 1986. Fergus Finlay — then a government adviser — says now: 'He, and we, made a complete bags of it'
Then finance minister Alan Dukes, taoiseach Garret Fitzgerald, and tánaiste Dick Spring launching the divorce referendum campaign on April 23, 1986. Picture: Independent News And Media/NLI/Getty

Then finance minister Alan Dukes, taoiseach Garret Fitzgerald, and tánaiste Dick Spring launching the divorce referendum campaign on April 23, 1986. Picture: Independent News And Media/NLI/Getty

Tue, 06 Jan, 2026 - 02:41
Fergus Finlay

Years ago, I wrote a book about the long period I spent working in Irish politics and for several Irish governments. 

The second chapter of that book was supposed to deal with the period from 1983 to 1987 working for a government led by Garret FitzGerald. 

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