D-day for GAA: are they sporting patriots or last-gasp partitionists?

AS Minister for Finance in the late 1960s, Charlie Haughey introduced a whole range of programmes that captured the public imagination.

He brought about free travel for the elderly, as well as free TV licences, free electricity and free telephone rentals for pensioners living alone.

None of these cost the exchequer very much, but they did provide some welcome help for a needy and deserving section of society.