In 1979, when Charlie Haughey was voted leader of Fianna Fail and Taoiseach he gave a press conference. At it, he was asked where his money came from. He said the question presumed he was rich, which mightn't be the case: 'Ask my bank manager', he replied. We now know that that was a better joke than it seemed. At the time, he was in debt to AIB to the tune of IR Punt1.143 million. Haughey dominated Irish political life from the sixties to the nineties. He had always lived beyond his visible means. From 1969 on he lived like a prince in Kinsealy, at times on nothing more than a backbench TD's salary. Colm Keena traces the origins of Haughey's lifestyle back to the 1950s and to his early life as a partner in Haughey Boland & Co. He follows his early involvement with Des Traynor and his developing relationships with property developers. Through all the ups and downs of Haughey's amazing career, the financial background was always a mess. He was constantly in debt. The bank leaned on him. He leaned on his friends. Less than a fortnight after becoming Taoiseach, the property developer Patrick Gallagher agreed to contribute IR Punt300,000 towards a settlement of Haughey's bank debts. While he was Taoiseach, the money rolled in. Haughey was in effect a kept man. Colm Keena traces the whole tangled story from beginning to end. It is a story that almost defies belief.

Haughey's Millions

Colm Keena

Biographies & Memoirs

Gill & MacMillan, Ltd. (Irelan

The fascinating story of the man who blew the boom. Colm Keena, the journalist who first broke the story of Bertie Ahern's finances, gives us an in-depth examination of the former Taoiseach's character, his lust for power and his obsession with money. Keena scrutinizes the evidence produced by the Mahon Tribunal about Ahern's personal finances and his personal political machine, and illustrates the lengths to which Ahern went in his effort to hide the truth about what he was up to. Ahern's political career is re-charted in the light of what we now know about his character. Keena looks at how his desire for power existed alongside an almost complete absence of political conviction, this lack of which left him open to the influence of those with strong opinions, and did nothing to arrest his mismanagement of the Irish economy. His lust for popularity brought Ireland from rude good health to economic disaster. An historic opportunity was squandered, but Bertie walked away from the wreckage with his wallet bulging. His legacy: the near-destruction of a European economy and the collapse of one of the most successful political parties of the past hundred years.

Bertie: Power and Money

Leaders & Notable People

Gill & MacMillan, Limited

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Books by Colm Keena

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Colm Keena. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Haughey's Millions

Bertie: Power and Money