Portrayed often as a reluctant politician and a caretaker leader, Mr Jack Lynch was a Dail deputy for 33 years, led his party for 13, was Taoiseach for 10 years, and in 1977 brought Fianna Fail to its greatest election victory.
He was the first Fianna Fail leader and Taoiseach of the post-revolutionary generation. At the time of his accession to both positions in November 1966, many regarded him as a temporary, compromise figurehead in a party divided among rival claimants for the leadership.
That was to underestimate seriously the contribution that would be made by Mr Lynch over a lengthy period in which he brought Fianna Fail and the State through the turbulence of the eruption of violence in the North and led Ireland into the EEC. The reassessment of traditional nationalism in the State and in Fianna Fail that began during his leadership, and the decision to bring Ireland into an expanding European Community, were developments with profound long-term effects.
He had a truly remarkable personality and manner for a politician. He was warm and friendly, modest and self-deprecating. He appeared to accept reluctantly his advancement through the political ranks to the post of Taoiseach. It was this modest manner which sometimes led to an underestimation of his achievements. The most dramatic moment of Mr Lynch's political career came during the Arms Crisis spawned by the Northern violence which deeply divided his party. During this period he provided a counterpoint to more hardline members of his Cabinet, ultimately dismissing Mr Charles Haughey and Mr Neil Blaney from government over the issue.
His leadership at this time gave the lie to the stereotype of him as in some way "too nice for politics". He is given considerable credit for maintaining political stability in the State in the years immediately after the outbreak of Northern violence which saw deep anger in the Republic over the treatment of nationalists in the North and in particular over Bloody Sunday. He nevertheless introduced emergency legislation to deal with the paramilitary threat while continuing to champion and defend the cause of peaceful constitutional nationalism.
His other central political achievement was his government's handling of the negotiations that led to Ireland's accession to the EEC on terms regarded now as having been very favourable.
A former civil servant and later a barrister, he was first elected to the Dail in 1948. He became minister for education in 1957, later serving as minister for industry and commerce and for finance. Mr Lynch ran for the party leadership in 1966 only under considerable pressure from colleagues keen to avoid a divisive contest between the younger elements of the party represented by Mr Charles Haughey, Mr George Colley and Mr Neil Blaney. His greatest achievement for the party was the 1977 landslide general election victory. He had placed the economic plans of Dr Martin O'Donoghue to reflate the economy through large-scale public spending at the centre of his party's platform. This both propelled Fianna Fail to a comfortable victory and laid the foundations for economic difficulties that would last close to two decades.
His decision in 1975 to allow Mr Haughey back on to the party front bench and ultimately into government contributed to his downfall in 1979, when he resigned as Taoiseach at the age of 62. Under pressure from supporters of Mr Haughey, Mr Lynch quit in the hope that Mr George Colley could defeat Mr Haughey.
The divisions in Fianna Fail which his election as leader in 1966 had dissipated re-emerged in the wake of his resignation and Mr Haughey's election. It was those divisions which ultimately led to the formation of the Progressive Democrats, and whose effects are still being felt in the work of the tribunals of inquiry into various past political events.
His most prominent protege in modern political life, the Tanaiste, Ms Harney, said yesterday: "He was a modest man who thought not about the benefits political life could bestow on him but on the contribution he could make to improve society."