Liars like Charlie can still be good dads

Sean Haughey

How disappointing it was to read the words of Sean Haughey, son of the late Taoiseach Charlie, who criticised RTE's recent drama about this father.

Sean's complaint was that it chose to focus on how politicians saw him, rather than revealing Charlie to be the kind, warm, generous father that he was to his children.

"I don't think it captured my father's personality at all," said Sean. "He came across as a very unlikeable character that was power-hungry, and that's all that made him tick.

"For me, I knew a completely different person - someone kind, compassionate, caring, emotional and fun."

In so doing, Sean joins the ample rogues' gallery of family members who take to the airwaves to complain about the portrayal of a crook, insisting that the media have got it wrong, as he was a lovely dad/good son/decent husband, etc, etc.

Charles Haughey was a thief, fraudster and liar, who stole €250k that was supposed to pay for his colleague Brian Lenihan's liver transplant, and used it to fund his own lavish lifestyle.

He abused his position, and legitimised a practice of political corruption that is still going on today.

Sure, he may also have been a good father, but it's a fact which, when considered by anyone outside of his immediate family, deserves only the following comment - so what?