FORMER TAOISEACH Liam Cosgrave launched the biography last night of one of his predecessors as head of government, John A Costello.
Now aged 90, the former Fine Gael leader delivered a series of pithy judgments on his contemporaries, with an occasional sharp observation on the political norms of our own time.
He was speaking on the publication of The Reluctant Taoiseach, an account of John A Costello's life and deeds by RTÉ political correspondent David McCullagh.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen attended the event in the Oak Room of the Mansion House, along with former taoiseach Albert Reynolds, a host of serving and former members of the Oireachtas and several members of the Costello family.
Queues formed for Mr Cosgrave to sign copies of the biography, published by Gill Macmillan. Former Labour minister for health Barry Desmond got the guest of honour to sign an old 1970s election poster with the slogan: “Cosgrave puts the nation first.”
Mr Cosgrave warned that some of his remarks might appear “a little bit rough” to sensitive ears. He took the opportunity to have a swipe or two at former political opponents, recalling, for example how Éamon de Valera had initially opposed emergency legislation only to resort to its use later, when he was in government, as a means of dealing with the IRA.
Outlining Costello’s “quite remarkable career”, Mr Cosgrave singled out the “extraordinary achievement” of heading up a government in 1948 which had the support of five parties and six independent deputies. Mr Cosgrave had the unenviable job of chief whip to this varied group: “They had never been in an urban council, some of them.”
That government included the late Seán MacBride, leader of the Clann na Poblachta party and son of executed 1916 leader Maj John MacBride and Maud Gonne.
He added that the first Costello government worked closely with its Northern Ireland counterpart on practical matters of common interest, without any of the “hugging and kissing of unionists” for the benefit of the TV cameras seen in a later era. The fall of the first inter-party government was precipitated by a dispute over Dr Noel Browne’s Mother and Child Scheme and Mr Cosgrave observed that, “in retrospect, I suppose it could have been handled slightly differently”. The second Costello-led government established the Voluntary Health Insurance Board and Mr Cosgrave cautioned against the mooted privatisation of that body with a phrase from Harold Macmillan: “Don’t sell the family silver.”
Fine Gael TDs present included Phil Hogan, Tom Hayes, Pat Breen, Simon Coveney, Leo Varadkar, Charlie Flanagan, Kieran O’Donnell, Michael D’Arcy, Frank Feighan, Jim O’Keeffe, Jimmy Deenihan and Billy Timmins.
Fianna Fáil TDs included Dr Rory O’Hanlon and Charlie O’Connor. Labour was represented by Senator Alex White. Lord Mayor of Dublin Gerry Breen and Northern Ireland Attorney General John Larkin were also in attendance.