Irish Mail on Sunday Political Editor

Electoral Competition in Ireland since 1987, the Politics of Triumph and Despair, by Gary Murphy (Manchester University Press, €23.70)

In the summer of 2011, PJ Mara and I had a long lunch at Moran’s of Weir in Co. Galway. We talked for hours, sitting in the sun outside the famous pub, yards from Galway Bay. ‘CJ’ dominated our discussion, as he often did, and I encouraged PJ, as I had many times before, to get his memories down on paper. He never did and passed away at the start of this year. Neither he nor Charles Haughey ever wrote a memoir. I was reminded of this gaping chasm in Irish historical literature when I read this book. Professor Gary Murphy is a splendid writer (we wouldn’t entertain his work in the Irish Mail on Sunday political pages if he were anything else) and the most thrilling passages in his new book are about Haughey. No political history of this period (19872015) can avoid being dominated by Charlie. Of course Professor Murphy dwells on the intrigue, shafting and chicanery that must dominate any portrayal of Haughey. But he astutely opens the book by crediting Charlie with his greatest achievement – social partnership (though, as ever with Haughey, it is a dubious legacy). He discusses the consensus between the government, employers and employees at the beginning of the book under a heading of ‘The Haughey Effect’. He writes: ‘The simple reality about social partnership is that it was a political construct driven by a singular politician, Charles Haughey.’ It’s funny how a reassessment of commonly known history can change your view. Because if you ask people who they associate social partnership with, most will say Bertie Ahern. I interviewed Brian Cowen recently for my own soonto-be-published book and his take on the importance of social partnership to Fianna Fáil will amaze many. Murphy is known to be working on a long-term biographical study of CJ Haughey as part of his academic work. We can only hope this heavyweight historian can soon bring his gentle and accessible writing skills to a major work on Haughey, because, as this short but fascinating book indicates, it is needed. Since Fianna Fáil was only out of power for eight of the 28 years covered here, the book is dominated by the party. But there are perceptive assessments of the other big players: Enda Kenny, Dick Spring and Desmond O’Malley. So take it to the beaches, or even to the banks of Galway Bay, and ponder the great voids in Irish modern history that Professor Murphy may fill for us yet.