`Gerry Hangs up his Guns; General Sadness as Chief McMahon Strikes Camp." Thus read the headline on the front page of the Evening Herald, on Thursday of last week. The story, bylined Stephen Rae, security correspondent, went on to say that Lieut Gen Gerry McMahon was leaving the military and now hoped to do some work. The press officer for the Defence Forces, Comdt Eoin O Neachtain, was quoted as saying the general was now in negotiations with the IRFU. A blurb said page 16 carried a story that the Irish Navy was bidding for 10 British subs and two aircraft carriers.
The Herald is clearly bringing editionalising to a new level. Normally there's a city and a country edition and sometimes a few more: now there's a special for the officers' mess. The spoof edition was distributed by Rae, to initial shock but then much laughter, at a farewell party for McMahon on the LE Aisling which docked at Sir John Rogerson's Quay in Dublin for the occasion.
Minister for Defence Michael Smith attended and other guests included Commodore John Kavanagh of the Naval Service, Comdt Colm Doyle, former commander of Camp Shamrock in the Lebanon and the chief's staff officer Comdt Sean McCann. Bearing in mind what he had just read, O Neachtain quoted Napoleon to the gathering in the wardroom - newspapers were more to be feared than a thousand bayonets.
Rae, meanwhile, is working on a new book for Christmas on famous Irish murders. He has new evidence, he says, that Malcolm McArthur was planning a third murder when arrested.