Haughey cool under collar despite chorus jeers

The protesters outside were getting hot under the collar, but inside Court No 26, Charles J. Haughey was staying cool under his.

It was a blue pinstripe collar, clearly well cut. And from the back of the courtroom, furtive eyes were searching in vain for other clues to its identity. But the protesters weren't fussy; Charvet or not, they wanted it.

"Charlie, Charlie, what's the crack?/We want the shirt off your back," they sang. "Yer island, yer yacht, yer shirt, yer caught," they added, for good measure.

His admirers would argue that the former Taoiseach's life is turning into a Greek tragedy; and in keeping with the genre, the latest act was accompanied by a chorus (courtesy of the Socialist Workers' Party) illuminating the moral issues evoked by the play.

There were only about 20 protesters. So when they chanted: "Put Charlie in jail, give him no bail," it was barely audible in the courtroom, where Mr Haughey sat in the back row, alongside his solicitor and his son, Conor.

The hearing began at 10.30 a.m. and took less than three minutes. Counsel for the State indicated the defence had sought an adjournment of two weeks, and although this was "late in the day", it was content to agree. Judge Elizabeth Dunne was reluctant, offering until next Monday instead. But after further brief submissions, the fortnight was granted.

It was well after 11 p.m. before Mr Haughey left the courthouse, and the chorus line was noticeably flagging. But when he finally emerged, it perked up again with a noisy rendition of its main theme: "Charlie, Charlie, what's the score? One law for the rich, one law for the poor."

It was an intense cross-examination, but the former Taoiseach didn't crack. Eyes cast down, he ran the gauntlet to his car without the hint of an expression, and was driven off.