A man who put duty before everything

YESTERDAY was a sad day for anyone who understands that a truly successful democracy — and therefore society — relies on men and women of the purest and most determined motives dedicating their lives and talents to public service.

Brian Lenihan, who died yesterday aged 52 after an 18-month battle with pancreatic cancer, epitomised the selflessness, the grit and charm so essential when facing the challenges brought by high office.

There is no doubt that he became Minister for Finance at the most difficult juncture in modern times. He and his cabinet colleagues faced enormous challenges, challenges beyond anything their predecessors — and possibly their successors too — could ever have imagined.