Tributes to Charles Haughey

What they said.

What they said.

"A proud man of considerable ability, charm, wit and intelligence, he was a skilled parliamentarian and an innovative legislator. Over the long years of his dynamic career he weathered many storms and faced more than his share of drama and controversy."
- President Mary McAleese

"History will have to weigh up both the credit and the debit side more dispassionately than may be possible today but I have no doubt its ultimate judgment on Mr Haughey will be a positive one."
- Taoiseach Bertie Ahern

"I have known Charles Haughey throughout my political career and found him to be personally warm, engaging, thoughtful and courteous."
- Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny

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"The success of Ireland's International Financial Services Centre is a living tribute to his boldness and determination. His legacy also includes the vibrancy of the arts in Ireland and the excellence of the renovated Government buildings."
- Tánaiste Mary Harney

"There was probably no other Irish politician over the past 50 years who was such a controversial figure and there is a darker side to the Haughey political legacy."
- Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte

"As I often made clear in the past, despite our public political differences, which I do not wish to dwell on at this time, our relationship was always marked by courtesy and absence of personal antagonism."
- former taoiseach Garret FitzGerald

"He brought energy, vigour and flair to every aspect of his work. He secured real and lasting achievements in every office of State that he held, reflecting the combination of vision and practicality that marked his approach to his work."
- EU commissioner Charlie McCreevy

"Charles Haughey played a vital role in helping initiate the process of dialogue between Britain and Ireland that has transformed relations between the two countries so completely in the past 30 years."
- British prime minister Tony Blair

"Throughout his political career, particularly as taoiseach, peace and justice in the North was right at the top of his agenda. He strongly supported my dialogue with Gerry Adams and he worked very closely with me in getting the Downing Street Declaration which led to the ending of violence."
- former SDLP leader John Hume

"He did an immense amount of good for the country and in time people will come to appreciate many of the reforming laws that he brought in through the various ministries he held during his political career."
- former government press secretary and lobbyist Frank Dunlop

"It is widely recognised that the transformation of Irish bloodstock breeding from a cottage industry in 1969 to a world-class one today can be largely attributed to his far-sightedness and strategic thinking."
- John Magnier

"He was an extraordinarily kind man and he never complained. It was part of the way he behaved. He was extremely well-read and could nearly frighten you with his level of knowledge on a wide variety of issues."
- Mr Haughey's accountant and close friend Des Peelo

"He was a delightful, charming and human man. He worked all the hours God sent him for his party. It was a great privilege to work with Mr Haughey for so many years."
- Mr Haughey's former personal assistant Catherine Butler

"He had a vision, however dimly, perhaps even murkily, of some kind of glory though the price of that vision was to prove costly, for individuals, for the country and for himself."
- Booker prize-winning novelist John Banville

The artists' tax exemption which he set up in 1969 "was one of the most enlightened pieces of legislation ever put in place".
- Arts Council chairwoman Olive Braiden