There is more to a visit to the Taoiseach than actually sitting down in a chair and chatting, wrote John Peck, British Ambassador to Dublin, in 1970.
In correspondence on July 16th with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London, Peck observed in witty detail the semi-comic, semi-tragic rules of a visit the previous day to the then Taoiseach, Mr Jack Lynch.
Preliminary requirements, insisted upon by Lynch's staff, meant Peck did not travel to the Taoiseach's office in his official car. "Calls upon the Taoiseach by the British Ambassador are, like good (sic), best done by stealth, and as I have the most readily identifiable CD car in Dublin, I have to ride to his office in the escort car; on this occasion there being already my three detectives in the car, I had to ride with their basic equipment, a venerable Thomson sub-machinegun, across my knees.
"A sub-comedy tends to take place in the waiting room, where the purpose of this stealth is usually undermined by an elderly, frock-coated and courtly messenger, who visibly feels that the honour of Ireland is being flouted if the British Ambassador fails to sign the Taoiseach's book on the occasion of each visit."
Once the two men sat down to talk, Peck asked Lynch what he hoped for in relation to the arms situation and his former ministers, Haughey and Blaney. The Taoiseach had replied: "I hope they get it over and done with quickly. Charlie Haughey finds it very trying to have this thing hanging over him."
Mr Lynch had repeated that he had taken pains to know nothing of the evidence against the ministers and that he was a politician and not a court of law. He had no option but to sack his two ministers once he was presented with information about alleged gun-running.
On Blaney's "deafening silence" with regard to Northern Ireland, Peck recalled that the Taoiseach had described "feeling a bit like a mother with her children: all is well while they are yelling around - it's when they are quiet that you wonder what they are up to".
The Taoiseach then went on to regale the Ambassador with a tale about electioneering in "Blaney country - Donegal". Mr Peck recalled that Lynch had pointed out "parallels between their torchlight parades, bands and general whoopee, and the tribal customs of Orangemen". The Taoiseach had concluded that "people in the North are different, that's all".