Ahern Leaves, Cowen is Ireland’s New PM

Yesterday was the last day Bertie Ahern held the title of Taoiseach, Prime Minister of the Irish Republic. He held the office since 1997, and in that time, Ireland has become a different country. He is leaving under a cloud, though, revolving around a corrupt payments investigation. One of his last official acts was to open a site commemorating the Battle of the Boyne with Ian Paisley. His lasting contributions were prosperity and the peace that Northern Ireland now enjoys.

Mr. Ahern’s resignation stems from payments totaling IR£39,000 in the 1990s when he was Ireland’s Minister of Finance. Mr. Ahern said he regarded this money as a loan from friends whom he would repay. His pals have apparently refused to accept repayment, figuring they were helping out a friend. RTE News reported, “He said his wife Miriam was in charge of their joint bank account into which he had savings of some £50,000. Mr Ahern separated from Miriam in 1987 and said legal proceedings were protracted and did not conclude until 1993. The Taoiseach appeared emotional as he went on to say £20,000 of those payments from friends were put towards providing for the education of his two daughters.” He is quitting to clear his name, and more than likely because he’s tired of it.

A few things have changed in the last 11 years in Ireland, and Mr. Ahern was at the center of them as Finance Minister and Taoiseach. In the 1990s, low corporate taxes, EU aid, subsidies to multi-national companies to invest in Ireland, high education spending, and the native popluation’s command of the English language (the language of global business) all combined to make Ireland the Celtic Tiger. In the 1980s, unemployment was in the 18% range, but hit 3.5% in 2001. The debt-to-GDP ratio fell from over 90% in 1993 to under 40% by 1999. This brought foreigners to Ireland (a nation that had exported people for centuries) and a multi-cultural cosmopolitan charm to Dublin in particular. There are economic difficulties still, such as wealth inequality, soaring property prices and a loss of competitiveness. Nevertheless, Ireland is richer in large part because of Mr. Ahern.

After centuries of violence and related stupidity, the British, Irish and Ulster politicians finally decided that peace might be better than low-level war. The result was the April 10, 1998, Good Friday Agreement, which effectively ended the institutionalized violence of the Irish Republican Army, the Ulster Volunteer Force and other paramilitary gangs. Mr. Ahern guided the amendments to the Irish constitution through the referendum that allowed the Irish government to abide by the Good Friday deal.

So just prior to surrendering the seal of office to the Irish President, Mary McAleese, he stood with Orangeman par excellence, Ian Paisley, the outgoing First Minister of Ulster. Together they opened the tourist center that will teach about the battle between Protestant King William of Orange and Catholic King James II, which has caused much of the strife. Using swords from the late 1600s, they cut the ribbon marking the official opening of the center. Just 11 years ago, this would have been unimaginable. Mr. Ahern had a hand in the miracle that Ireland has witnessed.

© Copyright 2008 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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