TK Whitaker's financial mind kept ahead of ministers
Probably the most phenomenal tribute paid to Thomas Kenneth Whitaker during his lifetime was his selection by RTÉ viewers in 2001 as “Irishman of the century”. He was selected ahead of such iconic figures as Éamon de Valera, Michael Collins, and Seán Lemass. It was a magnificent tribute for having played a pivotal role in the redevelopment of our economy during the latter half of the 20th century.
Whitaker was the epitome of the dedicated civil servant. Born on December 8, 1916, in Rostrevor, Co Down, where his father worked in factory management, he was reared in Drogheda from the age of six. He joined the civil service in Dublin in 1934, but continued his education by correspondence with the University of London, from which he earned a bachelor of arts degree in 1938, at the age of 21.
