No one knew exactly where all his money came from. He lived a lavish lifestyle on a politician's salary, served as taoiseach three times, and had to sell of some of his real estate holdings to pay up back taxes owed on eight million pounds worth of gifts and honoraria.
He ran for office in 1957, and never lost an election, stepping down in 1992. By the time that he retired, he had thrown Ireland, kicking and screaming, into the path of the Celtic Tiger. In an era of twenty percent unemployment and high emigration, his policies helped to turn the tide.
The son of a former IRA officer, Charlie did more than any previous leader to create peace in the north of Ireland, his efforts building up to the Good Friday Agreement. Oddly enough, Charlie was implicated in a 1970's plot to import weapons into the north, using Republic of Ireland funds.
Today, writers and artists will lift their glasses and toast to the memory of Charles Haughey. A man who promoted the arts, he recognized the lack of earning power that plagued the creative set, and did something about it. The few euro that the artist garners upon selling a canvas, or the paltry advance that the writer earns for a novel, are all tax free, no money due to the Exchequer. That, from a man who dodged taxes. It's a funny world.
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