Leaving a huge legacy of service

WHEN the epitaph of former government minister and ex-Fine Gael Deputy Jim Mitchell is written, it will truly be said of him that he did the State some service.

In the murky realm of politics, where the principle of public service is losing its meaning, his focus on the importance of protecting the interests of ordinary people transcended narrow party considerations.

Despite losing his Dáil seat after 25 years in the May general election, his place in the popular mind is