Morning Ireland

A Queen's visit, and a Taoiseach's passing

by Cathal Mac Coille

A week of contrasts for the country and for Morning Ireland. First, there was widespread, if not quite unanimous, satisfaction because the opening days of Queen Elizabeth’s visit were such a success. Then, a sudden change in mood when Garret FitzGerald’s death was announced on Thursday morning.

For the Morning Ireland crew, it meant dropping everything we’d planned for the second hour of the programme. Instead, from eight o’clock on, we reported on the former Taoiseach’s life and times, and spoke to his successor Enda Kenny, and to others who knew him as a colleague or opponent. It was one of those programmes that could easily have gone on for another hour, or longer even. Garret FitzGerald made a mark on his country, in ways both substantial and trivial. Even those who could see his shortcomings close-up remembered him above all as a man they liked.

Gemma Hussey paid the man who appointed her as Minister for Education in 1982 an affectionate but not uncritical tribute. Afterwards, at  breakfast in the RTÉ canteen, she confirmed the story I’d heard about one particularly interminable Cabinet meeting. It went on so late, she told us, that Garret seriously suggested they could keep going if they sent out for chips!

His likeability was the thread that united the memories of most of those who paid tribute to the man President McAleese called a ”national treasure”. I recall one example I was able to witness a few years ago.

Garret was buying flowers at a stall on the corner of Dawson Street and Molesworth Street. It was late on a winter’s afternoon, and bitterly cold. The flower-seller handed over his bouquet, then leaned across and took the tail of his jacket (linen, I think) between her fingers.

“That’s far too light a jacket to wear in this weather,” she admonished him fondly. “You’ll catch your death of cold. You should have a coat on, AND a hat.” He agreed, he had to. You could see he was used to being mothered by strangers.

But back to the other, happy side of this week’s news. I can’t remember hearing so much pride and joy expressed after the success of an important national occasion. Could it be, I wonder, partly because we’re pleased that the country has shown it can do things well? On a big scale, and ensuring that nothing went wrong? And that we’ve Gardaí, defence forces and, above all, a President to be proud of?

 If the Queen’s visit achieved only that much, it’s done us all some good.