Foreign policy mandarin who gave Ireland a key role on world stage

CIVIL servants are often called the permanent government. They are the faceless men and women who implement policy and frequently formulate it, but political decorum requires that they keep a low profile rather than outshine their nominal masters.

Since independence a few civil servants stand out, such as TK Whitaker, Maurice Moynihan, and Joseph P Walshe.

Ken Whitaker was arguably the real father of the Celtic Tiger because he recognised the value of providing people with a proper education back in the 1950s. But, unlike the others, he received some recognition at the time. His economic plan was published under his own name.