MR REYNOLDS became emotional within minutes of taking the witness box when he was asked about his wife's illness.
As Lord Williams asked details about his family life, Mr Reynolds's voice faltered and he wiped a tear from his eye when he acknowledged that his wife, Kathleen, had not enjoyed the best of health.
Following a lengthy pause, Mr Reynolds said: "Yes, that is correct. She was detected to have cancer in 1992." His voice then trailed off and he took a sip of water. Mrs Reynolds, who was sitting alongside their eldest daughter, Miriam, just a few feet from the witness box, also wiped away a tear.
After describing his childhood and early career as a clerical officer at Irish Rail, Mr Reynolds said he began to organise parish dances in Rooskey, Co Roscommon, to raise money for the church.
"In the third year, the priest said he had sufficient funds, but at that time I had already agreed bookings with several bands for the following year. So I asked my oldest brother, Joe, to finance it," he said.
When his brother, Jim, returned from Australia, they set up a business building ballrooms, which Mr Reynolds said he later sold to him in 1967.
"I felt the tide was changing towards cabaret and that kind of business. So I sold it to Jim and, went into a different business he explained.
Detailing his political career, Mr Reynolds told the jury that in 1974 he was approached by his local Fianna Fail party to stand as a candidate in Longford for the local elections. Three years later he became a TD.
"I was approached by the local TD and asked to consider it. I had done very well in the local elections and it was coming up to his time to retire," he said.
Lord Williams read out to the jury all the ministerial positions Mr Reynolds held before being elected Taoiseach in February, 1992. Following his appointment as party leader, Mr Reynolds said he set himself two electoral objectives: to try to bring peace to Northern Ireland and to expand the Irish economy.
He said he thought the two issues were "integrated" and that he was determined to take "up this great challenge".
Mr Reynolds told the jury that when he was Finance Minister he had met the then British Chancellor, Mr John Major. "We had developed a very good personal and trusted relationship . . . after I became Taoiseach I had a phone call from Mr Major. He congratulated me and said we should try to get together.
"Both of us committed ourselves in that first meeting to try to not condemn a new generation in England and Northern Ireland to another 25 years of violence," he said.
As part of this reconciliation process, Mr Reynolds said he nominated Senator Gordon Wilson to sit as an Independent. "He was extremely well-known. I don't think anyone North or South has ever forgotten the words spoken to him as his daughter lay dying in the rubble. I felt that this man was so forgiving," he added.
Following President Clinton's election victory, Mr Reynolds said he refused his offer to send a peace envoy to Ireland. "Mr Major and I were working well and it was not necessary. I also did not think it would work," he added.
Soon after this offer, Mr Reynolds told the jury he signed the Downing Street Declaration with Mr Major, which was "in effect a charter for peace".
Turning to the downfall of his Government, Mr Reynolds said he had no problems in supporting Mr Harry Whelehan's promotion to President of the High Court, but advised him to discuss it with the Tanaiste, Mr Spring.
"Mr Spring didn't feel he was suitable. He was too conservative for the job," he said.
Mr Reynolds added that there was a lot of media speculation over the appointment which was "not helpful to Government stability", so a four-man committee was established to see what "formula could be found to resolve the situation".
"We agreed on the basis that court reforms would be brought in and Mr Whelehan was appointed president. A statement went out to say we had met and agreed a basis and that it would not be a general election issue."
Following publicity over the revelations about delays over the extradition of the paedophile priest, Brendan Smyth, Mr Reynolds told the jury he was very concerned" and was determined to get to "the root of it straight away".
"There was rumour and innuendo prevalent in the media that in some curious way the Roman Catholic Church had interfered, had requested delays in the extradition, and that there was a cover-up. That a file was in the Attorney General's office that would show this," he said.
Mr Reynolds told the jury he was not "entirely satisfied" with Mr Whelehan's report on his office's handling of the Smyth affair and requested him to answer questions at a Cabinet meeting.
"I made it quite clear I thought it (the report) was inadequate. I thought a case like this should have had more priority. But, having heard that Mr Whelehan had not been informed about the file, he had not seen the file, and that it was handled by the senior legal adviser, Mr Russell, everyone around the table believed he had acted in good faith. He had done nothing worthy of criticism."
When the Cabinet began to discuss Mr Whelehan's promotion, he immediately left the room. Maire Geoghegan-Quinn moved that the Government appoint Mr Whelehan to president and, when that happened, Mr Spring and his colleagues left the Cabinet room, he said.
Mr Justice French then intervened to ask: "Did they leave in a happy spirit?" Mr Reynolds replied: "No, my Lordship, they left in silence. I wouldn't describe it as a happy spirit."
Following the Cabinet meeting, Mr Reynolds said he telephoned Mr Spring to say that Mr Whelehan's appointment was going to be approved by the President, Mrs Robinson, at 5.30 p.m. that evening.
"I phoned immediately after the Cabinet meeting to say that there would quite possibly be a media presence at Aras an Uachtarain and what line should there be for the press. Mr Spring said he would talk to his colleagues and come back to me. There was no question of the Government falling.
"When I arrived at Aras an Uachtarain there was a message. I phoned Mr Spring. The agreed line to say to the press was that the Labour ministers absented from the Government from this decision.
"And that was the end of the conversation. We proceeded with the appointment. He said nothing about the coalition being over," he said.