Cowen, having doubled the national debt, he said, was not a Lemass or a Lynch, but a Garret FitzGerald. Varadkar went on to predict that the Taoiseach would end up writing ‘boring articles for the Irish Times’. The outrage that followed was of an ecumenical nature. Members of every political party, and none, sprang to the defence of the now octogenarian former Taoiseach. Varadkar came under pressure to apologize, but seemed to hold his nerve. He later announced that he had written to FitzGerald ‘explaining’ his remarks. As likely as not, there was some petty personal reason for Varadkar’s tirade. But, still, the very passion of the response he provoked seemed to speak as much about the truth of his observations as anything else. FitzGerald is a deeply admired figure in Irish society. Indeed, he has come to be loved and respected by almost everyone, not least because of his extraordinary energy, humility and approachability since leaving office. He continues writing his weekly Irish Times column, which, contrary to Varadkar’s assertion, is not always boring.
