If Fianna Fáil ‘ruined’ this country, nobody admits that it also built it

I WAS pleased Fianna Fáil rose four points in the polls because I can’t stand the lies. I can’t stand the pretence that an alien tribe called Fianna Fáil came in and “ruined the country”, leaving the plucky Coalition to “clear up the mess”.

This is balderdash. If Fianna Fáil “ruined the country”, it also built it. Sean Lemass was the architect of modern Ireland. When he was elected taoiseach, in 1959, half the houses in this country had outside toilets and hot, running water was a luxury confined to one in three houses.

Lemass applied for Ireland to become a member of what is now the EU and embarked on a massive campaign of economic expansion. Education was key. Under Lemass, Donogh O’Malley brought in free secondary education and free school transport in rural areas, and he moved to establish the regional technical colleges.