Sadly, history won’t remember great public servants like Dermot Gallagher

His name might not be on the Good Friday Agreement, but all who were there know his mark, writes Fergus Finlay

Tue, 17 Jan, 2017 - 00:00

Fergus Finlay is a former political activist and adviser to three governments, the former head of the children's charity Barnardos, a writer and a broadcaster.

GOOD Friday, April 10, 1998. I was clearing my desk, to go home, when the phone rang. It was Dermot Gallagher, the secretary general of the Department of Foreign Affairs. He was ringing from Belfast, at the end of what must have been one of the longest days of his career.

“We’re tidying things up here,” he said. “Everyone’s exhausted, but we have an agreement, and it’s one that I think will stand the test of time. I know you’re not here, but I wanted to acknowledge the role you played in bringing this about.” The agreement was the Good Friday Agreement, which has, despite endless difficulties and complications (including the current mess), stood the test of time.