Analysis: The man who became taoiseach 45 years ago today and the colourful businessman found themselves closely linked on several occasions
By Séan Ó Duibhir, University of Galway
45 years ago, Charles J Haughey finally achieved his lifelong ambition when he was appointed Ireland's seventh taoiseach. This initiated an extended period of political infighting, intrigue and ultimately infamy for the man known as The Boss, whose fondness for lucre was subsequently proven to have been as great as his lust for power.
Last month was the first anniversary of the death of business magnate, and one time managing director of Dunnes Stores, Ben Dunne. His passing saw an outpouring of tributes for a man whose successes – and perhaps some personal failings – made him a larger than life figure in the Irish public consciousness. For many, this confident, energetic and sometimes brash captain of industry became synonymous with Ireland’s economic awakening in the pre-Celtic Tiger era.
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From RTÉ Radio 1's This Week, journalist Sam Smyth profiles the late Ben Dunne
Unfortunately, he also came to be indelibly associated with the tarnished legacy of Haughey, who affectionally regarded Dunne as the 'Big Fella'. When talking about Dunne’s legacy, most commentators referenced his relationship with Haughey. The latter’s penchant for ‘living beyond his means’ meant that the four-time taoiseach came to rely heavily on donations from businessmen like Dunne.
While there is limited evidence of Haughey influencing Government decisions to favour his benefactors, it appears he did attempt to assist Dunne on two occasions. In 1987, the then taoiseach arranged Dunne’s meeting with Revenue’s chairman, which the Moriarty Tribunal determined was an improper attempt to lessen the businessman’s tax burden.
The other occasion was not when Haughey was actually in government and it certainly was not aimed at furthering Dunne’s business interests either. Rather, it was when Haughey supposedly interceded to have Dunne released, following his kidnap by the Provisional IRA in 1981.
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From RTÉ Archives, Annette O'Donnell reports for RTÉ News on Charles Haughey's evidence at the Moriarty Tribunal in July 200
A new ‘fundraising’ avenue
By the early 1980s, the IRA was at a crossroads. It was evident that the violent campaign in Northern Ireland would not herald the victory it had repeatedly promised during the 1970s. Their political wing, Provisional Sinn Féin, had been a minor political player in the North and overshadowed in the Republic by its rivals in the more socialist (Official) Sinn Féin-The Workers’ Party.
But the Maze Prison hunger strikes, which resulted in the deaths of 10 prisoners, generated increased support for Sinn Féin amongst sections of the North’s nationalist community. As increasing levels of legitimate funding were shunted towards political activities, additional revenue streams were needed for the paramilitary campaign. One avenue explored was the kidnapping for ransom of wealthy business figures.
The Dunne kidnapping
In the Ireland of the 1980s, the Dunne dynasty presented a tempting target. Indeed, the IRA’s real target may have been the family patriarch, the more reserved Bernard Dunne Snr., who was to accompany his son to the opening of a new store in Portadown in October 1981.
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From RTÉ Archives, 1970 Seven Days' profile of Charles Haughey
However, a last minute change of plan led to Ben Jnr travelling alone on that fateful day. Close to the border, a IRA group stopped his car and bungled a terrified Dunne into another vehicle. Following some near misses involving British Army patrols, the hooded victim was eventually sequestered in an outhouse in South Armagh, where he was warned that any attempt to resist could result in him being shot.
Despite initial bravado on Dunne’s part – he claimed he was worth ‘nothing’ as no money would be exchanged for him – it became evident that his family were anxious to see the ransom paid, though the Irish Government was not. Even as then Minister for Justice, Jim Mitchell, prayed daily for Dunne’s release, and a huge manhunt was mounted both sides of the border, the Government opposed acceding to ransom demands. They feared that monies acquired by paramilitaries would finance further terrorist violence, and that an IRA ‘success’ on this occasion would spawn copycat kidnappings in the future.
Enter ‘The Boss’
A number of attempts by Dunne family friends to deal with the kidnappers were thwarted by the Irish security services. For a time, the Garda supervised the deposit of takings from branches of Dunnes Stores so as to monitor cash flow.
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From RTÉ Radio 1's Sunday with Miriam in 2014, interview with Ben Dunne about his eventful life
It was then, allegedly, that Haughey and his long time friend, the property developer Patrick Gallagher, entered the fray. Speaking years later, Gallagher recalled that Haughey approached him in October 1981, and asked him to provide the monies demanded by the IRA, thus circumventing the Fine Gael-Labour Government’s restrictions on Dunnes' finances. Gallagher claimed that he handed over £1.5 million, which was later repaid to him by Ben Dunne Snr.
While the accuracy of Gallagher’s claim is impossible to confirm (and was denied by Dunne in a 2014 radio interview), Dunne was released shortly afterwards. Under cover of darkness, his captors left him at an Armagh graveyard, handing him three bullets as morbid ‘mementos’ of the experience, and cautioning him not to look at the paramilitaries as they made their exit. Fearing the kidnappers might change their minds and return to kill him, an understandably shocked and shaken Dunne ran to an open grave and hid inside.
He was soon collected by the journalist Eamonn Mallie, and reunited with his distraught family in Dublin. Safe and surrounded by loved ones, he returned speedily to work though his ordeal, was not over. Likely suffering from undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the impact of his kidnapping continued to take a significant toll on his emotional well-being and undoubtedly contributed to his later substance abuse.
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From RTÉ News, 1997 report on Ben Dunne detailing payments to Charles Haughey
Haughey’s intervention, if it happened, eventually redounded against him too. While Dunne publicly rejected suggestions of the then Fianna Fáil leader’s assistance, the ‘Big Fella’ still saw fit to aid Haughey financially over the next two decades. In such circumstances, it is difficult to discount the possibility that Dunne felt he owed a transcendental debt to Haughey for his reputed ‘behind the scenes’ efforts.
In later years, Dunne acknowledged that the unresolved trauma from the kidnapping impacted his mental health. This, in part, led to the extraordinary events inside a Florida hotel in 1992, which saw Dunne arrested during a drug-induced paranoid episode. Given that it was the fallout from this incident that eventually led to the unmasking of Dunne's donations to Haughey and the tribunals that destroyed Haughey’s legacy, it serves to underscore the sardonic maxim: in politics, no good deed goes unpunished.
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Dr Séan Ó Duibhir is a part-time lecturer at the Centre for Adult Learning and Professional Development at the University of Galway.
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
