Sir, – Ireland says goodbye this week to a very real patriot, TK Whitaker.
Much will be written about his amazing contributions to our society, in its political, social, economic and cultural aspects, and all of this praise will be well deserved.
I sometimes feel that much of the downstream benefits of his legacy remain unsung, and these are best illustrated in the employment and human capital expertise now to be found in our service sectors, arising from IDA and Enterprise Ireland project investments. I instance, only by way of example, the expertise to be found in the accounting firms; the architectural practices; the banking business; the building, construction, and engineering companies; the law firms; and third-level education, etc.
Tangible evidence of this downstream benefit is evident if one passes the 1,000 cars parked at the Intel plant in Kildare.
:fill(white):background_color(white)/static.themebuilder.aws.arc.pub/irishtimes/1647534191476.png)
TK Whitaker’s charm, understated effectiveness and intellectual courage will be greatly missed, but must be a great example to all of us left to follow in his steps as we continue to benefit from his patriotic endeavours.
I was privileged to have known and to have worked with him. I hope I learned something from him too.
May he rest in the peace that he so well deserves. – Yours, etc,
JOHN BLAKE DILLON,
Donnybrook, Dublin 4.
Sir, – Through various adverse circumstances, I took control of a family business 30 years ago this year. Having moved from the apparent comfort of employment in a third-level academic institution, I moved into the debt-challenged world of self-employment in late 1998.
The facsimile machine was one of the technological challenges that faced me. Having sent a fax with ultimatum demands to a Dublin solicitor in relation to the closing of a particularly lucrative sale, I waited patiently for a reply.
After about 20 minutes, I dashed to the venerable fax machine to view the response. On an unheaded sheet of plain paper, the handwritten message simply read, “I am afraid you sent your message to the wrong number, hope you get the result you need. Kind regards. TK Whitaker.”
Even in the late 1990s, he was never too busy or removed from the people to deal with an issue.
Let’s hope we can learn from his example and that we never lose touch with the people! – Yours, etc,
CORMAC MEEHAN,
Bundoran,
Co Donegal.
A chara, – When my father Seán Ó hÉigeartaigh died unexpectedly in 1967, he was a principal officer in the Department of Finance. Soon after the funeral, the secretary of the department, TK Whitaker, phoned my mother, Bríghid Uí Éigeartaigh.
After expressing his condolences, he asked what would become now of the Irish-language publishing house Sáirséal agus Dill, run by my father and mother. Bríghid said it would have to close immediately, since it could not continue without my father’s salary.
Whitaker then asked Bríghid if she would wish to continue the business, if adequate financial arrangements could be made. He thought special arrangements might be possible, and was willing to do what he could to help. After thinking for a few days, she told him she would be glad to continue, provided reliable financial assistance could be provided quickly. Negotiations followed, with unaccustomed speed, and Sáirséal agus Dill continued in business for a further 15 years.
In the scale of Ken Whitaker’s achievements, this is a small matter. Nonetheless, I would welcome the opportunity to place this small stone on his cairn. – Is mise,
CIAN Ó hÉIGEARTAIGH
Dublin 14.
Sir, – TK Whitaker first came to my attention when I was a small boy. His signature was on every banknote, and on the rare occasions that I got a pound from a visiting uncle or aunt, I examined it thoroughly, to the extent that to this day I could make a decent attempt at forging his signature. I thought that TK Whitaker was very rich and owned all the money in the country.
Little did I realise then the overall impact that TK Whitaker had on the development and modernisation of the Irish state. May he rest in peace. – Yours, etc,
LESLIE LAWLESS,
Dublin 4.