Dublin Tramways
by
John Kelleher
(c) 2016 Mount Merrion Historical Society
8.00pm, Thursday 1st December, 2022
Fitzwilliam Rooms
Mount Merrion Community Centre
Presented by Prof. Gary Murphy
Gone but not forgotten; is it time to forgive Charles Haughey? Or did his legacy poison democracy in this country for decades? Whether you believe he was a saint or a sinner, Charles Haughey was unarguably the most talented and influential politician of his generation. His presence still looms large over Irish politics, yet the very roots of his success - his charisma, his intelligence, his ruthlessness, his secrecy - have rendered almost impossible any objective evaluation of his life and work. Gary Murphy has published a widely acclaimed biography of Haughey. Based on exclusive access to the Haughey archives and interviews with dozens of Haughey's contemporaries , it offered a major reassessment of one of Ireland’s most significant and controversial politicians and a view of a man of prodigious gifts, who, for all his flaws and many contradictions, came to define modern Ireland.
In this talk Gary Murphy will explore and reassess Haughey's role at heart of Irish political life for over three and a half decade and examine his still controversial legacy.
Gary Murphy is Professor of Politics at Dublin City University. An expert on Irish electoral history, he has published extensively on modern Ireland. He is a prominent commentator on contemporary politics and is a regular contributor to the print and broadcast media.
His biography of Charles Haughey, published by Gill Books in 2021 was widely acclaimed and was selected as a book of the year by the Irish Times, Sunday Independent, Sunday Business Post, Mail on Sunday, and Irish Examiner.
Judging Haughey
Saint, Sinner or Human