Haughey's Forty Years of Controversy

D
EDICATED
TO
F
IONA
, D
AVE
,
AND
N
ORA
D
EENEY

H
AUGHEY'S
F
ORTY
Y
EARS
OF
C
ONTROVERSY

T. R
YLE
D
WYER

MERCIER PRESS

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© T. Ryle Dwyer 1992, 2005

Epub ISBN: 9781856357241

Mobi ISBN: 9781856357616

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16 September 1925: CJH born in Castlebar, Co. Mayo.

1928: Seán Haughey's retired from army and the family settled in Dunshaughlin, Co. Meath.

1933: family moved to Donnycarney, Dublin.

7 May 1945: sparks riot in Dublin after burning Union Jack.

1946: earned Bachelor of Commerce degree from UCD.

1948: joined Fianna Fáil.

1949: called to the bar.

1951: joined with Harry Boland in establishing Haughey Boland accountancy firm.

30 May 1951: defeated as Fianna Fáil candidate in general election (lost deposit).

18 Sept 1951: married Maureen Lemass.

1953: co-opted to Dublin Corporation.

18 Jun 1954: CJH defeated as Fianna Fáil candidate in general election (lost deposit).

23 Jun 1955: fails to hold seat on Dublin Corporation to which he was co-opted.

30 Apr 1956: defeated in Dáil by-election in Dublin North East.

5 Mar 1957: elected to Dáil Éireann.

9 May 1960: appointed parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Justice.

4 Oct 1961: re-elected to second Dáil term at head of poll in general election.

11 Oct 1961: appointed Minister for Justice.

22 Nov 1961: announces re-activation of Special Criminal Court.

17 Jun 1964: introduces Succession Bill.

8 Oct 1964: appointed Minister for Agriculture.

7 Apr 1965: re-elected to third Dáil term at head of the poll.

28 Apr 1966: ICMSA farmers jailed for picketing Leinster House.

Over 500 arrested and jailed in the ensuing dispute.

26 May 1966: concedes most of ICMSA demands.

June 1966: National director of elections for President de Valera's re-election campaign.

28 Sept 1966: protests to RTÉ over contradiction of his statement.

7 Oct 1966: National Farmers' Association set out on protest march to Dublin.

19 Oct 1966: refuses to meet NFA, who begin a sleep-in outside his office.

31 Oct 1966 story of impending retirement of Seán Lemass breaks.

8 Nov 1966: Lemass and Haughey patch up deal with NFA.

9 Nov 1966: Jack Lynch elected leader of Fianna Fáil.

11 Nov 1966: appointed Minister for Finance.

11 Apr 1967: announces free travel for elderly.

May 1967: George Colley, in Galway, refers to low standards in high places.

20 Sept 1968: badly injured when he crashed his state car at Cooadnagan Bridge.

7 May 1969: announces income tax concessions for writers and artists.

29 May 1969: reports that Haughey sold Grangemore for £204,500.

18 Jun 1969: re-elected to fourth Dáil term at head of the poll.

2 Jul 1969: re-appointed Minister for Finance.

16 Aug1969: authorised by government to provide money for victims of unrest in Northern Ireland.

20 Aug 1969: tells cabinet of secret meeting with IRA chief of staff, Cathal Goulding.

19 Mar 1970: CJH instructs customs to admit arms consignment without inspection.

17 Apr 1970: Garda commissioner informed of plot to import guns.

18 Apr 1970: asks Berry if guns will be admitted if they go straight to Northern Ireland.

21 Apr 1970: hospitalised after fall from horse; Lynch delivered his budget address.

29 Apr 1970: visited in hospital by Lynch.

1 May 1970: Lynch informs cabinet that there will be no action over arms affair.

5 May 1970: CJH sacked as Minister for Finance.

6 May 1970: Arms crisis erupts.

28 May 1970: arrested and charged with conspiracy to import arms illegally.

9 Sept: 1970: secret meeting with Minister for Justice Des O'Malley.

22 Sept 1970: Arms trial begins.

29 Sept 1970: mistrial declared by judge.

6 Oct 1970: new Arms Trial begins.

19 Oct 1970: Haughey testifies at arms trial.

23 Oct 1970: CJH and others acquitted.

2 Mar 1971: begins testimony before Dáil Committee of Public Accounts.

17 Jan 1972: begins affair with Terry Keane.

19 Feb 1972: elected vice-president of Fianna Fáil.

10 Feb 1973: Frank Aiken retires from politics in protest at CJH's ratification as Fianna Fáil candidate.

28 Feb 1973: re-elected to Dáil at head of poll.

16 Feb 1974: elected joint national secretary of Fianna Fáil.

30 Jan 1975: appointed Fianna Fáil front bench as spokesman for Health and Social Welfare.

16 June 1977: re-elected to Dáil at head of the poll.

5 July 1977: appointed Minister for Health and Social Welfare.

2 June 1978: CJH meets bishops to discuss Family Planning legislation.

2 Aug 1978: introduces bill to curb tobacco advertising.

28 Feb 1979: declares Family Planning Bill ‘an Irish solution to an Irish problem'.

7 Dec 1979: elected Fianna Fáil leader.

11 Dec 1979: elected Taoiseach.

10 Jan 1980: warns that the country is living beyond its means.

21 May 1980: meet Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in London.

8 Dec 1980: Anglo-Irish summit at Dublin Castle.

14 Feb 1981: Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis called off after Stardust disaster.

11 June 1981: re-elected to Dáil at head of the poll.

30 June 1981: replaced by Garret FitzGerald as Taoiseach.

27 Jan 1982: unable to contact President Hillery by telephone.

18 Feb 1982: re-elected to Dáil at head of the poll.

25 Feb 1982: re-elected leader of FF after O'Malley withdraws challenge.

8 Mar 1982: signs deal for support of Tony Gregory.

9 Mar 1982: elected Taoiseach for second time.

30 Mar 1982: Haughey appoints Dick Burke to European commission.

6 May 1982: announces that Ireland will be asking EEC to end sanctions against Argentina.

22 June 1982: disclosure of override facility to intercept all Leinster House calls.

17 Aug 1982: accepted Patrick Connolly resignation as AG and gives rise to GUBU.

6 Oct 1982: staved off heave led by Charlie McCreevy.

4 Nov 1982: government lost confidence motion.

25 Nov 1982: re-elected to ninth Dáil term at head of poll.

14 Dec 1982: replaced by Garret FitzGerald as Taoiseach.

19 Dec 1982: Haughey says he would not countenance tapping journalists' phones.