In this episode of the #MooneyOnPolitics podcast, Derek chats with Jamie Mac Giolla Bháin about his book on the remarkable events of Oct 1976, sometimes known as the #ThunderingDisgrace #crisis
Jamie’s book will be published next week, to coincide with the 50th anniversary. The saga started with the killing of the British Ambassador in Dublin. The then Fine Gael / Labour Party government responded with emergency powers legislation, which the then Irish President Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh, a former senior lawyer and judge, decided to refer to the Irish Supreme Court, to test its constitutionality. This is a presidential prerogative.
The Irish government, particularly the Taoiseach, was deeply irritated by his actions. On the night the President signed the legislation into law, after the Supreme Court ruled the Act was constitutional, the provisional IRA murdered a young garda, named Michael Clerkin.
Jamie is a relation of Garda Clerkin. Two days after the killing of Garda Clerkin, the Irish Defence Minister, Paddy Donegan, delivered a speech criticising the Irish President, while at an army barracks. He called the President’s actions in referring the legislation a “thundering disgrace”.
The minister subsequently apologised for his comments, but the Taoiseach, Liam Cosgrave refused his resignation, though his comments had been made to an audience of defence personnel whose commander-in-chief was the president.