Controversial figure in political drama

Paraic "Jock" Haughey , who died last Friday, was a former GAA star who featured in the political drama that unfolded in the…

Paraic "Jock" Haughey, who died last Friday, was a former GAA star who featured in the political drama that unfolded in the Republic following the outbreak of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

He won a successful constitutional challenge to a jail sentence arising out of the Arms Trial controversy that for a time also blighted the career of his brother, Charles Haughey.

He was born Patrick Columb Haughey on October 9th, 1932, in Dunshaughlin, Co Meath, one of the seven children of Seán Haughey and his wife, Sarah (Sadie) (née McWilliams). His father, a veteran of the War of Independence, had been a Free State army officer, although both parents retained strong republican views.

Following the family's move to Belton Park, Donnycarney, he was educated at St Joseph's CBS, Fairview. Trained as a draughtsman, he later became a surveyor.

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The young Haughey was a keen sportsman. He held an All-Ireland Senior Football medal won with Dublin, a FAI Minor cup medal won with Home Farm and even played cricket with an RUC team.

He won the All-Ireland medal in 1958 when Dublin defeated Derry, his parents' native county. He had opted to play Gaelic football despite approaches from two League of Ireland clubs, Shelbourne and Drumcondra.

Despite the infamous "Ban" on foreign games, he continued to play junior soccer until the GAA authorities delivered an ultimatum: "Give up that soccer or you're dropped from the Dublin team". He won National Football League-winners' medals with Dublin in 1955 and 1959.

He played inter-county hurling, although he did not rate himself very highly. He did, however, enjoy marking Christy Ring in several matches between his club, St Vincent's, and Glen Rovers. His cricketing career was confined to a match when he was invited to make up a team for the local RUC while on holiday with relations near Swatragh in Co Derry. He made a few runs and grew to admire the skills and subtleties of the game. In later life he played golf at Royal Dublin where he brought his handicap down to three.

He was again in the spotlight in 1971 when he was sentenced by the High Court to six months' imprisonment for contempt in refusing to answer questions at a Dáil Public Accounts Committee hearing in relation to the £100,000 grant in aid for Northern Ireland relief.

He successsfully appealed the High Court verdict to the Supreme Court. His appeal was allowed on the grounds that the legislation empowering the Dáil committee to find him in contempt was unconstitutional. The committee's hearings took place in the wake of the Arms Trial in which his brother, Charles J Haughey, and others, stood accused of illegally attempting to import arms. All were acquitted.

Paraic Haughey was named in evidence to the committee by the head of the Special Branch, Chief Supt J P Fleming, who stated he was "deeply involved" in dealings with the IRA leader Cathal Goulding in 1969. He had arranged for the arrival of a consignment of arms at Dublin Airport in October and had later travelled to London to purchase arms.

Fleming stated his belief that Haughey was "George Dixon", the joint holder of a bank account that held money from the grant in aid.

Paraic Haughey issued a public statement rejecting Fleming's evidence. In a submission to the committee before he refused to answer questions, he said that he had never directly or indirectly got in touch with his brother Charles about the authorisation of customs clearance of any guns, ammunition or material of any nature or description.

He said he never received or gave monies or received or gave any cheques or valuable security in the name of George Dixon. He said he never used the name George Dixon in connection with any financial or banking details. No monies from the grant-in-aid for Northern Ireland relief were ever paid to him, nor did he have any control over these monies.

The committee ultimately concluded that a large proportion of the grant-in-aid had been appropriated for other purposes. In the 1980s he was before the courts on several occasions when penalties were imposed on him for driving and other offences. He was charged in March 1990 with resisting Garda arrest and refusing to give a blood and urine sample.

The charge of resisting arrest was subsequently dropped, and the hearing was postponed for six months, by which time the police doctor was too ill to attend court. His counsel argued that, since the doctor was unable to affirm to the court that he was indeed a registered medical practitioner on the day, his client refused to give him blood or urine samples, the case for the prosecution must fail. The charge was dismissed.

The case was mentioned in the Dáil in 1993 during the passage of the Medical Practitioners (Amendment) Bill that tightened up a loophole in the law regarding the admissibility as evidence in court of computerised evidence to show that a doctor was a qualified medical practitioner.

Paraic Haughey enjoyed the rough-and-tumble of electioneering and was fiercely loyal to his brother when his leadership of Fianna Fáil was under threat. Well-known for his sense of humour, he remained a popular figure in north Dublin sporting circles.

His wife, Catherine, daughter, Caoimhe, and son, Conall, survive him.