Former Irish taoiseach Charles Haughey passes away

June 14, 2006

The Former Irish Taoiseach Charles J. Haughey passed away on at his home in Kinsealy, County Dublin. He was 80 years old.

Haughey was leader of the Fianna Fail parliamentary party and served three terms as the Taoiseach as well as holding ministerial posts. Widely credited with founding the Celtic Tiger economy, he was never far from controversy with the Arms Crisis and various planning and corruption scandals attributed to him. Tributes were paid to Mr. Haughey by Irish President Mary McAleese, by the current Taoiseach and Fianna Fail leader, Bertie Ahern, the Tánaiste Mary Harney and leaders of several Irish political parties, as well as a tribute from his great adversary of the 1980's, former Fine Gael leader Garret Fitzgerald.

Although no cause was given, Haughey was suffering from prostate cancer. A state funeral will be held on Friday, June 16.