Who do you think has been Ireland's greatest Taoiseach?

[The OD]

None of them were good, let alone great. For me, the competition wouldnt be for which one I think is the greatest, it would be which one I would most pleasure in watching drown. Its a tough one indeed.

[ifreannach]

For me it has to be WT Cosgrave. His government took over a lawess country that was decimated by the War Of Independence and being ravaged by a savage civil war. Out of those ruins a stable democracy was created that has stood the test of time.

I don't seek to diminish the contribution of his sucessors but no subsequent govenment has come close to the scale of this achievement.

stable democracy !, lol pricesless

[Kerrygold]

Fairly depressing alright.

[cry freedom]

For me it has to be WT Cosgrave. His government took over a lawess country that was decimated by the War Of Independence and being ravaged by a savage civil war. Out of those ruins a stable democracy was created that has stood the test of time.

I don't seek to diminish the contribution of his sucessors but no subsequent govenment has come close to the scale of this achievement.

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#1 (permalink) Report This 4th June 2010
cry freedom
Politics.ie Member Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,501

General Elections 1932


I have often thought that this was the year in which Ireland became a real democracy.
In trying to imagine myself in that epoch I have come to realize how raw emotions were in Ireland at that time.
The civil war had ended only a few years previously and Fianna Fail were behaving like boot boys, going around breaking up election meetings
and doing their best to disrupt the speeches of anybody opposed to them.
On top of that there was the [not unfounded] fear that if Dev got in he would be there to stay,[Mugabe style].
I would love to have been a fly on the wall on the night the results came through to W.T. Cosgraves office.
Was there ever any temptation on his part to reject the results and call in the Army? Bear in mind that the vast bulk of the Army were, at that stage, pro treaty. The fact that he bowed to democracy despite what must have grave misgivings,marks - in my mind - the real coming of age of the Irish Republic.
Any takers?
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All subsequent incumbents were standing on the shoulders of this man!

[Mar Tweedy]

Cosgrave set up the state to be run in favour of the landed middle class - he was anti the labour movement, sucked up to the RCC and detested the poor.

I'd argue he set the tone for the disaster this state has become.

I find it hard to vote for any. I'm between Lemass and Fitzgerald at the moment because at least both of them were sincerely working for the good of all the people.

Lemass is hedging it for me. All I know is the surface story about Lemass though, I'd need to look into him more before I'd vote for him.

[White Horse]

stable democracy !, lol pricesless

Would you rather we became something like Zimbabwe.

[Darren J. Prior]

I think that Brian Cowen would have the intelligence to be our best Taoiseach but he mismanaged the economy as Minister for Finance (I mismanage on €250 a week) and the country is f***ed and so, in large part his own fault, most of the decisions he makes in regards to finance are cutbacks and about dealing with our national debt. So he won't be Taoiseach for long and will unfortunately perhaps go down in many peoples books (if the results of the opinon polls now translate the same at the next GE) as a bad Taoiseach.

Garret Fitzgerald, Eamon de Valera and John Bruton stick out to me as being great Taoisigh.

[ifreannach]

Would you rather we became something like Zimbabwe.

no, much rather we became our own masters really. Why do you think we could aspire to be anything like zim?

[splashy]

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#1 (permalink) Report This 4th June 2010
cry freedom
Politics.ie Member Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,501

General Elections 1932


I have often thought that this was the year in which Ireland became a real democracy.
In trying to imagine myself in that epoch I have come to realize how raw emotions were in Ireland at that time.
The civil war had ended only a few years previously and Fianna Fail were behaving like boot boys, going around breaking up election meetings
and doing their best to disrupt the speeches of anybody opposed to them.
On top of that there was the [not unfounded] fear that if Dev got in he would be there to stay,[Mugabe style].
I would love to have been a fly on the wall on the night the results came through to W.T. Cosgraves office.
Was there ever any temptation on his part to reject the results and call in the Army? Bear in mind that the vast bulk of the Army were, at that stage, pro treaty. The fact that he bowed to democracy despite what must have grave misgivings,marks - in my mind - the real coming of age of the Irish Republic.
Any takers?
---------------------------------------------------------------------
All subsequent incumbents were standing on the shoulders of this man!

This is certainly a point in W.T.'s favour, but his deference to the Church and the beginning of censorship among other things go against him. Perhaps the fault lies with the people there, though, as those weren't unpopular measures.


On the subject, is there any truth to that story of Dev and co. walking into the Dáil in 1932 with revolvers in their pockets?

[cry freedom]

This is certainly a point in W.T.'s favour, but his deference to the Church and the beginning of censorship among other things go against him. Perhaps the fault lies with the people there, though, as those weren't unpopular measures.


On the subject, is there any truth to that story of Dev and co. walking into the Dáil in 1932 with revolvers in their pockets?

"Is that your gun Dev or you just happy to be here at last"?