The Taoiseach’s Tale

Scandal and Bertie Ahern are a word and a person that are made for each other. Questions about his relationships with women, his political friendships and financial management kept the public attention span for years. Even the latest findings of the Mahon Tribunal didn’t deliver the expected clearing in the corruption claims of the former Taoiseach. Bertie repeats himself over again and states he hasn’t done anything wrong. 

Bertie Ahern, Photo: thenewishjournalism.blogspot.com

“I never took a corrupt payment from anyone and I told the truth to the Mahon tribunal about my finances and the difficult personal circumstances I found myself in,” stated the man whose hair turned white over the 40 years he has been active in Irish politics.

Born in Drumcondra, Dublin, September 12 in 1951 Bertie was one of five children Julia Ahern gave birth to. His father Con Ahern truly committed himself to the Republicans when the treaty was concluded. The family was frequently watched by the government and Con was put into jail several times. Bertie said himself that his father had a huge respect for the IRA leader Tom Barry and Con was the last prisoner to be released after the Civil War was officially over.

His mother Julia originated from a Republican family in Cork. The political bias Bertie grew up with can’t be hidden. His oldest brother Maurice became a middle distance athlete and stayed out of the political battlefield, as well as his sisters Kathleen and Eileen. He and his brother Noel took their father’s political interest over and engaged themselves in Fianna Fáil politics.

The Aherns belonged to the fortunate lower-middle-class families in the 50s and 60s and didn’t have to endure the curse of emigration like many people in Dublin had to. It was their ethos to concentrate on education even though the surrounding countryside of the farm didn’t create the optimal circumstances for that purpose. Still, they were just on the edge of the capital city.

“I did everything - milked the cows, fed the pigs, brought the will down from the college,” said Bertie recalling his childhood days. His introduction to the grassroots politics came when he campaigned as a poster boy in Dublin Central at the age of 14. Bertie was introduced to constituency work when he supported his teacher’s campaign running for Fianna Fáil. 

The whole Ahern family supported Fianna Fáil without the slightest glimpse of a doubt. Party founder Eamon de Valera and later on successor Sean Lemass had a huge influence on Bertie’s political views. He started to become known in Ireland’s political landscape in the mid 60s and was elected to the Dáil in 1977. During that time Fianna Fáil was at the crossroads between the old and the new orientation of politics. Bertie spend his time in the Dáil library and studied Lemass’ speeches and legislation. Therefore Bertie’s time as Ireland’s Taoiseach mirrored Lemass’ standards. He adapted his political and economical pragmatism and aimed to create a growing market economy for increasing labour an investments.

Bertie Ahern had already joined the Federal Workers Union of Ireland in 1969 and became friends with many of the activists. He came into contact with Union leading members like Jim Larkin and John Foster. “It was great working with the unions. They’d bring me down to the Labour club on the Quays for a few pints,” said Bertie. He remained active in the movement well into the 70s but his work with the union could not inspire him to take a socials route in politics. “They knew I was Fianna Fáil and Republican and that I didn’t believe in that socialist stuff. I’ve never met a socialist in my life and if I do I’ll tell you,” he continued.

In 1994 Bertie was elected to be the sixth leader for Fianna Fáil. The Irish man was successful as a politician and became the country’s head of government in 1997. Eleven years later he resigned from that office.  

“Given the fact that I served as Taoiseach for almost ten years, I can understand how an impression might have been created that a trawl of my finances and lifestyle should be at the heart of the inquiry. This, of course, is not the case,” commented the media experienced politician to the conclusions of the tribunal.

Bertie found love for the first time in his late teens. At the age of 24 he married the woman he had been going out with since then. Miriam Kelly became the mother of their two daughters Georgina and Cecilia. At that stage Julia gave up her workplace in the bank and supported Bertie’s full time devotion to his political career.

“It was no way to keep a marriage going. Like many marriages in politics and other walks of life, one partner got careless and that led to the collapse of the relationship,” said Tony Kett, Bertie’s right hand. In the deep end of the family crisis Celia Larkin who was a civil servant and Fianna Fáil activist appeared on the scene. Celia was part of Bertie’s company after work and a relationship between the two of them started to develop. Miriam became aware of that and gave her husband an ultimatum that he never met.

Looking back Bertie said he regrets the marriage collapsed because of his commitment to politics. Both of them went through a public separation in 1992 and the media rumours and speculations pressured the whole situation even more. The court proceedings revealed that they had been separated for a number of years and that Bertie’s fellow politicians in the Dáil had capitalised on the broken marriage in a tawdry fashion. The rumours about his private matters didn’t stop once it was known he was in a relationship with Celia. She worked for Bertie while he was the Taoiseach.

“Through all of this I was the father of two young children; in a new relationship; and maintaining long-standing friendships,” said Bertie sounding like the victim of the sensationalized media on the island.

Once his romantic relationships were clear the rumours around Bertie Ahern twisted to another subject. Loans, presents, donations, payments to his bank account and unnamed sources were enough for another scandal in the media. A few days ago the longest ongoing tribunal in Irish history finally stated that the former Taoiseach can’t be claimed for corruption but the question of his payment sources is still not disclosed. His reaction the rumour is unwavering - he denies everything.

“To my dying day, I will not accept the findings of the Mahon tribunal report,” stated Ahern in the Irish times and added; “I know that these findings in relation to me are wrong and inaccurate.”

Bertie Ahern wanted to be remembered for his political achievements. He wanted to be in the row of his idols De Valera and Lemass. Instead, he is going to be memorized for his resignation from his office as Taoiseach in 2008 and his party Fianna Fáil a few days ago because of his inability to clear his name in the corruption claims.

“My finances were chaotic, but they are most certainly not corrupt,” said Bertie. That is his explanation to the claims; neither a proof of guilt nor innocence. “I have tendered my resignation because I do not want a debate about me to become a source of division in Fianna Fáil,” he affirmed. In the end he tries to be heroic but actually he is backing out instead of speaking up. The tale of Bertie Ahern is just a story, the truth of his politics remains to be hidden in the Irish highlands.