LORD Williams QC described the former Taoiseach's "humble" background and list of achievements before detailing his client's complaint against the Sunday Times article.
In his opening speech to the jury, Lord Williams told them: "If any of you achieve what he [Mr Reynolds] has done in his lifetime, I dare say you could die happy."
Lord Williams told the jury that Mr Reynolds, born in November 1932 at Rooskey, Co Roscommon, came from a "humble home" and was raised on a small farm with his three older brothers and a sister.
"He had no silver spoon. He left school at 17 and went to work on the railways, Irish Rail. In his spare time he was working for the local parish churches, holding small dances to raise money for the church. The dances did quite well and he branched out. There were a few more dances and, after six years, he gave up Irish Rail to build up a little chain of ballrooms with his brother Jim. In 1967 he sold his share to Jim," he said.
Mr Reynolds (63), who was accompanied to court by his wife, Kathleen, and eldest daughter, Miriam, was described as a "family man" who has seven children.
After describing the different Irish political parties to the jury, Lord Williams said Mr Reynolds worked in local government from 1974 until being elected to the Dail in 1977.
"He served as a minister in various jobs in government and eventually became prime minister, the Taoiseach, in the early part of 1992, and that lasted until the winter of 1994," he added.
Lord Williams told the jury Mr Reynolds's "great work" was to try to resolve the conflict in Northern Ireland and that he was "the man who did most in trying to bring about the IRA ceasefire" in August 1994. "The ceasefire had become the centre of his life, both as a man and a politician," he added.
Describing in great deal the downfall of Mr Reynolds's government, Lord Williams repeatedly stated that the former Taoiseach had not told lies to the Dail, that he was not a lawyer, and he had relied upon others for legal advice during the Brendan Smyth affair.
"This is a tale of people saying different things to Mr Reynolds which he simply got exasperated with, bearing in mind that he is not a lawyer," he said.
Lord Williams told the jury Mr Reynolds discovered that the explanation of the former Attorney General, Mr Harry Whelehan, that there had been delays in the extradition of Father Brendan Smyth because it was a complex issue with no precedent was wrong only after he had addressed the Dail on the issue.
"At about 9 p.m. he was shown a document that he had never seen before. Whether the air went blue I don't know ... the Sunday Times said that Albert Reynolds had lied to the Dail - he hadn't. That there was confusion, he will not dispute. That there was inefficiency, he will not deny. He will deny and deny and deny again that he told lies to the Dail," he said.
Lord Williams added that Mr Reynolds was "deeply troubled" by the affair and was worried about the "appalling knock on effect" that it would have on the peace process.
The hearing was adjourned until today.