Why Haughey now deserves some compassionate understanding

SOME people have been suggesting that Catherine Butler’s interview in The Village magazine is a Fianna Fáil attempt to rehabilitate Charles Haughey, but publisher Vincent Brown has more reason than anyone to realise that the role played by Fine Gael and Labour in the telephone tapping was the height of hypocrisy.

Following publication of my book, Haughey’s 40 Years of Controversy, in May of last year, I was interviewed by Gerry Ryan on his radio programme. As a childhood friend of Conor Haughey, Gerry Ryan was often in the Haughey household. The former Taoiseach usually made time for his children’s friends, and he would sit down and chat with them. It is not the usual image of an all-consuming politician.

The live interview, which I expected to last for about 15 minutes, went on for a full hour. The questions were about the positive side of Haughey’s contribution to politics. During a break about half way through the programme, I mentioned that I was not uncritical of Haughey.