Charles J. Haughey was the sixth Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland. He headed governments from 1979 to 1981, in 1982, from 1987 to 1989, and finally from 1989 to 1992.
Haughey was one of the most controversial of Irish politicians. He started his political career with an embarrassing defeat in a by-election. However, in the 1957 General Election he was elected to Dáil Éireann. His first ministerial post was Parliamentary Secretary (junior minister) to the Minister for Justice, Oscar Traynor. Though Haughey was the son-in-law of then-party-leader and Taoiseach, Sean Lemass, Lemass urged Haughey to decline the offer, which was made by the cabinet. Haughey took the post anyway, ultimately replacing Traynor as Justice Minister, with a seat in cabinet in 1961.
Haughey proved to be perhaps the best Minister for Justice in Irish history, initiating a scale of legislative reform that was unparalleled, before or since. In 1964, when the Minister of Agriculture, Paddy Smith, resigned in a major row, Lemass moved Haughey to that department. His period as Agriculture Minister was less successful, however. In 1966, he served as President Eamon de Valera's director of elections in that month's presidential election. He convinced Telifís Éireann not to cover the campaign of the rival candidate, Fine Gael's Tom O'Higgins, on the basis that as de Valera wasn't campaigning, to cover O'Higgins would be unfair. However de Valera then got a high public profile as President and as the last survivor of the senior leaders of the Easter Rising during the 1966 Rising's fiftieth commemoration. However his campaign went badly wrong, with de Valera only scraping re-election by ten thousand votes out of a total poll of nearly one million. De Valera developed a negative view of Haughey, whom he distrusted and whom he told another minister some years later would destroy Fianna Fáil.
In 1966, Lemass resigned as Taoiseach. Fianna Fáil seemed destined to have the first contested battle for the leadership, with possible candidates including Haughey, Neil Blaney, Paddy Hillery and George Colley. Hillery however wasn't interested, while Lemass talked most of the others out of contesting, proposing the Minister for Finance, Jack Lynch, as the compromise leader. Colley however declined to withdraw. Lynch was overewhelmingly elected leader. He appointed Haughey to his old post as Minister for Finance.
Again, Haughey showed a radical, reforming streak. Small scale initiatives caught the public imagination; free travel for Old Age Pensioners on public transport, tax-free status for artists. The late 1960s saw the appearance of violence on the streets of Northern Ireland . . . to be continued.
Media reports in May 2003 suggested that Haughey, who had been diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer in 1995 had suffered a major sudden decline in health. His son, Sean Haughey[?], TD flew back from abroad to join his family at Haughey's bedside in a Dublin hospital[?]. Family friends were quoted as suggesting that the family fear that Charles Haughey's death is imminent. Speculation has begun as to whether Haughey will be given a state funeral[?], as is the norm with former taoisigh, or whether, due to the allegations of improper behaviour leveled at him and which is currently being investigated by a tribunal of inquiry, he might be denied a state funeral. It is thought unlikely, notwithstanding the allegations made against him, that the Irish Government would deny him a traditional state funeral, though his family may decline the offer and opt for a private funeral.
| Preceded by: Jack Lynch Taoiseach (1977-1979) |
Prime Ministers of Ireland Taoisigh na hÉireann |
Succeeded by: Garret FitzGerald Taoiseach (1981-1982) |
| Preceded by: Garret FitzGerald Taoiseach (1981-1982) |
Prime Ministers of Ireland Taoisigh na hÉireann |
Succeeded by: Garret FitzGerald Taoiseach (1982-1987) |
| Preceded by: Garret FitzGerald Taoiseach (1982-1987) |
Prime Ministers of Ireland Taoisigh na hÉireann |
Succeeded by: Albert Reynolds Taoiseach (1992-1994) |
Common misspelling and questions (FAQ)
harles-haughey carles-haughey chrles-haughey chales-haughey chares-haughey charls-haughey charle-haughey charleshaughey charles-aughey charles-hughey charles-haghey charles-hauhey charles-haugey charles-haughy charles-haughe hcarles-haughey cahrles-haughey chrales-haughey chalres-haughey charels-haughey charlse-haughey charle-shaughey charlesh-aughey charles-ahughey charles-huaghey charles-haguhey charles-hauhgey charles-haugehy charles-haughye charles-haughe ccharles-haughey chharles-haughey chaarles-haughey charrles-haughey charlles-haughey charlees-haughey charless-haughey charles--haughey charles-hhaughey charles-haaughey charles-hauughey charles-haugghey charles-haughhey charles-haugheey charles-haugheyy dharles-haughey xharles-haughey fharles-haughey fharles-haughey vharles-haughey cyarles-haughey cgarles-haughey cbarles-haughey cuarles-haughey cnarles-haughey cuarles-haughey cjarles-haughey cnarles-haughey chqrles-haughey chwrles-haughey chzrles-haughey chwrles-haughey chsrles-haughey chzrles-haughey cha4les-haughey chaeles-haughey chadles-haughey cha5les-haughey chafles-haughey cha5les-haughey chatles-haughey chafles-haughey charoes-haughey charkes-haughey char,es-haughey charpes-haughey char.es-haughey charpes-haughey char;es-haughey char.es-haughey charl3s-haughey charlws-haughey charlss-haughey charl4s-haughey charlds-haughey charl4s-haughey charlrs-haughey charlds-haughey charlew-haughey charlea-haughey charlez-haughey charlee-haughey charlex-haughey charlee-haughey charled-haughey charlex-haughey charles0haughey charlesphaughey charles[haughey charles-yaughey charles-gaughey charles-baughey charles-uaughey charles-naughey charles-uaughey charles-jaughey charles-naughey charles-hqughey charles-hwughey charles-hzughey charles-hwughey charles-hsughey charles-hzughey charles-ha7ghey charles-hayghey charles-hahghey charles-ha8ghey charles-hajghey charles-ha8ghey charles-haighey charles-hajghey charles-hauthey charles-haufhey charles-hauvhey charles-hauyhey charles-haubhey charles-hauyhey charles-hauhhey charles-haubhey charles-haugyey charles-hauggey charles-haugbey charles-hauguey charles-haugney charles-hauguey charles-haugjey charles-haugney charles-haugh3y charles-haughwy charles-haughsy charles-haugh4y charles-haughdy charles-haugh4y charles-haughry charles-haughdy charles-haughe6 charles-haughet charles-haugheg charles-haughe7 charles-haugheh charles-haughe7 charles-haugheu charles-haugheh charles-haugheyslost prestige?" "It is Mademoiselle de Vermont, then, who inspires you with this at her." "Last night, perhaps--but to-day?" "We exchanged no more than a dozen words." "But the more I think of her visit to the greenroom, the more does." "These things are not done to displease you." "I may agree as to that; but what conclusion do you draw?" "That she is trying to turn your head." "My head! You jest! I might be her father." "That is not always a reason--" Nevertheless, Henri's exclamation had been so frank that Eugenie felt reception night, and I leave you to your duties as hostess. To-morrow, own upon them in a long kiss, and left her. to the left, at the Opera, had belonged exclusively to ten members of the When a place becomes vacant through any cause, the nine remaining chair; it is a sort of academy within the national Academy of Music. When this plan was originated, that particular corner was called "the dedication of the fine monument of M. Gamier. Nevertheless, as it is changes are rare among them; besides, the members are not, as a rule, men and the renewal of several generations of pretty women; and the number of still greater. .