Ahern Left His Mark

I FIRST met Bertie Ahern back in the early 1990s when he was leader of Fianna Fail, then in opposition. I introduced him to some of the Irish American business leaders in New York and he made an immediate impression as a down to earth, skilful politician who had a good way with people.

I was not surprised that he turned into a highly talented taoiseach. Ahern had both the political skill and the common touch as well as a great reputation as a conciliator. He was a safe pair of hands at a time of great progress in Ireland.

Shortly after he took office I met him with his then advisor Martin Mansergh. The IRA ceasefire had broken down, but it was obvious to me that Ahern felt he could help pull it back together. A mere six weeks in power, in July 1997, it happened. It was one of his finest achievements.

Alas, like many Fianna Fail politicians of his period there were always questions about Ahern's links to big business and whether he was somehow compromised. When a party is in power as long as Fianna Fail there will always be such temptations, especially in a booming economy.

But his resignation as taoiseach came as major shock to most Irish Americans. There has been very little if any coverage in the American newspapers of the Mahon Tribunal which investigated crooked payments to politicians. Indeed only the Irish American media has covered the storm clouds gathering over his evidence.

Thus, the news that Ahern was folding his tent because of the Mahon matter was a complete surprise to most. Now two of the last three Irish leaders, Charles Haughey being the other, have had to step aside because of illegal payments controversies. It is a bad record for a modern democracy.

Ahern was an unlikely person to get involved in such a matter. He was never a high roller like Haughey, but it seems a culture of loose money has taken hold in Ireland since the good times began there.

He had also become recently embroiled in controversy here over his comments about those seeking a bilateral deal between Ireland and America on immigration. It was an unfortunate misstep for a man who was always well liked here and seemed to understand the illegal immigrant plight.

Ahern was popular in America. He had warm relationships with both Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Clinton especially liked him, feeling utterly at ease shooting the breeze with Bertie. Both were political junkies and enjoyed each other's company immensely.

Ahern proved his mettle on the peace process, and helped drag it back from the brink more often than any other politician. Who can forget his brave gesture in returning to Belfast after his mother's death and continuing the negotiations?

He was always affable, which made the comment in Jonathan Powell's recent book about the peace process seem strange. Powell, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's chief aide, wrote in Great Hatred, Little Room how Ahern almost hit David Trimble after an insulting exchange with him during the Good Friday Agreement negotiations. Now that would have been a headline and a half!

Ahern was a genius at making people feel at ease. I saw him last May with Ian Paisley at the Battle of the Boyne site, one of the most amazing moments of the peace process.

Ahern handled it brilliantly, treating Ian like a friendly old uncle, cracking his own jokes and laughing loudly at Paisley's. There are very few other Irish politicians you could imagine pulling it off.

But in the end Ahern probably hung around too long. It's always hard when you're both popular and very good at politics to realize that a time comes when you should step away.

It was good he decided to go at a time of his own choosing. In the last year or so Ahern seemed to be on automatic a lot of the time. Clearly the tribunal affairs were weighing heavily on him.

Perhaps as a relatively young man of 56 he is not finished with politics yet, or maybe he has had enough and just wants to watch his beloved Dublin in GAA and Manchester United and leave the heavy lifting behind.

Whatever he chooses to do, Bertie Ahern has his place in history secure.