The PDs came into existence in the mid 80s in reaction to the ruthless and corrupt leadership of Haughey.
They were a party of courage and integrity while Des O’Malley was leader but as soon as Mary Harney took over the party reverted to its Fianna Fail roots of ignoring corruption in Irish public life in exchange for power.
In part two of ‘Bertie’ Harney effectively confirmed that she has always been a closet Fianna Failer. Asked about the controversy that saw Haughey sack Brian Lenihan as demanded by the PDs she said:
“It’s an issue many in our party would feel bad about, about the stand we took and the way we did.”
Genuine PDs should be proud that they got Lenihan’s head on a plate. Unfortunately it was the last occasion in which the party stood by the Republic.
Yes indeed!. Mary Harney exposed her true colours by that remark.
A thought occurred to me viewing the second of the Bertie programmes.
Its quite extraordinary how Fianna Fail has in effect been the vehicle for the personal ambition of at least three of its leaders. The founder De Valera seemed to be a man of profound intellectual arrogance and personal aggrandisement (witness the redirecting thousands of dollars collected for the party in US to personal use to found Irish Press publications). The consequences of Charlie Haughey’s naked power grab and all that flowed from it are obvious. Now we see exposed Bertie and the Drumcondra mafia who cared not a fig for FF except to use it to further the career of Bertie.
I will give the other three leaders the benefit of doubt.
I wouldn’t leave Reynolds out of that list Haymoon.