The book Seamus Brennan never got to write
Author Frank Lahiffe (centre) at the launch with Tom Kitt (left) and Commissioner Charlie McCreevy yesterday
HE never got the chance to pen his own book -- so it fell to one of "master politician" Seamus Brennan's closest advisers to chronicle his eventful 21 years in political life.
Frank Lahiffe served as adviser to the late minister throughout his entire government career which spanned nine departments.
During this time, the two men planned to chart one of the most dramatic periods of Government and had stored up snippets of information for the book that, for Mr Brennan, would never be.
"We often talked about writing the book when we departed the political scene and sadly he never got to write his book so I'm hoping that, by my writing of his political biography, it may go some way to addressing that deficit," Mr Lahiffe said.
Launching the book, 'Seamus Brennan: A Life in Government', in Dublin last night, the author said the public face of the former minister was very much the private one, too.
"There was only one side to him -- 24 hours a day he was the same person," said Mr Lahiffe.
"You couldn't fight with him, even if you wanted to, because he would always have a means of bringing you around to his view of things and his way of thinking.
Humour
"And he had a great sense of humour and I hope that comes across in parts of the book as well," he added.
While two brothers of the late minister, Terry and Eamonn, attended the launch, there was, however, no sign of Mr Brennan's son, Shay, who led an unsuccessful attempt to win his father's seat at the Dublin South by-election in June.
Mr Lahiffe raised a few eyebrows when he instead backed Senator Maria Corrigan for the nomination. But he insisted last night there was no animosity between him and Shay.
EU Commissioner Charlie McCreevy officially launched the book. "Seamus Brennan's career and mine in politics spanned exactly the same timeframe . . . both of us thrived on politics," he said.
- Breda Heffernan
