Many hard words will be written over the coming days about the life, times and legacy of Charles J Haughey. Now is not the time, on the announcement of his death, to intrude upon his family's mourning. He leaves a faithful wife and family who deserve their dignity. Suffice to say that, for good or ill, Mr Haughey was the dominant politician of his generation in Irish politics: in the Fianna Fáil party and in this State. There will be another time to pass critical judgment.
His lengthy career spanned more than three decades in the Dáil from his election almost 50 years ago in 1957, his promising early ministerial years to the Arms Crisis in 1970, his return to the Fianna Fáil front bench in 1975, the Jack Lynch cabinet as minister for health and social welfare in 1977, and his eventual election as leader of Fianna Fáil and taoiseach in December 1979.
He held out the promise for many people - even in parties other than Fianna Fáil - that he would do for the country what he had done for himself. But, in so doing, he promulgated divisions unprecedented in the modern history of Fianna Fáil. The Fianna Fáil establishment, epitomised by the reaction of families like the late Frank Aiken, Senator Eoin Ryan, George Colley and the eventual founder of the Progressive Democrats, Des O'Malley, demurred. Publicly and privately, at different times, they shared the view of the then leader of Fine Gael, Dr Garret FitzGerald, that he had a "flawed pedigree". The choice of those particular words had unfortunate class implications at the time. They came to be understood.
Mr Haughey held high office as taoiseach through the most turbulent political, economic and divisive years in modern Irish politics. He was admired or abhorred: put more plainly, he was loved or hated by the electorate. There was no halfway house with Mr Haughey. He was the most controversial political figure of his generation. He was forced to resign in 1992 when his former minister for justice, the late Seán Doherty, asserted that he was complicit in the tapping of the telephones of two journalists, Bruce Arnold in the Irish Independent and this writer, for reasons other than the security of the State or criminal activities.
It was unfortunate for his family that Mr Haughey went on to spend the later years of his life dealing with tribunals inquiring into payments to politicians. This was an ignominious end to a lengthy career for an elderly politician.
On this day, however, it is worth acknowledging that Charles Haughey was the most charismatic figure in Irish politics in living memory. Though small in stature, he had a great presence. He was an astute parliamentarian. He possessed his own particular sense of nationhood. And for good or ill, Mr Haughey's character, ambitions, beliefs and flaws are an integral part of the development of this modern State. They will be debated, ad nauseam, in coming days and weeks.