Galway Advertiser 1990/1990_04_26/GA_26041990_E1_009.pdf 

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H W CHARLIE SOLD THE PASS O
Lifelong Fianna Failers may in future keep July 3rd, 1989 as a day of special significance, either for rejoicing or, as is more likely, for donning sackcloth and ashes. For it was on that day, according to Shane Kenny in his fascinating Go
Dance On Someone Else's Grave, that Charles Haughey realized bleakly that the g a m e was up. After weeks of political stalemate after the disastrous General Election, he plumped for the seemingly unthinkable - taking Fianna Fail into coali tion. And not merely into coalition, which w a s heretical enough, but into coalition with a party that had been born out of op position to his personal style of leadership.
According to inside sources, the publication of this book caused conster nation in the corridors of power. Word has it that Maura Geoghegan Quinn was apoplectic with rage. Bobby Molloy, who played the major part in the coali tion negotitions, was con tacted by P . D . party leader, Des O'Malley who wanted to know who had talked to RTE journalist Kenny. "Was it you?", O'Malley asked. "No, was it you?", the Galway West T.D. and Minister replied. As neither of these two had talked, Kenny obviously had a well-trained fly on the wall, busily taking down notes of apparently private conversations. And out of this, and other material, a book which is bound to further inflame Fianna Fail opinion was written. Bobby Molloy's role was of paramount importance. Right from the start, O'Malley made it clear that if Fianna Fail was prepared to consider coali tion, Molloy was in line for a cabinet seat. In Kenny's version of events, Molloy emerges as by far the most aggressive of the negotiating team. At the first meeting in the Man sion House, while Fianna Fail's Bertie Ahem, Albert Reynolds and Gerry Col lins sipped their pints of Guinness, facing Pat Cox and Des O'Malley, Molloy bluntly put his cards on the table - unless cabinet par ticipation was to be con sidered, they all might as well drink up and go home. It was a stance he was to maintain throughout the discussions, drawing from Bertie Ahem the observa tion that his aggressive at titude (for "aggressive" read "uncompromising") had made a difficult sitution even more difficult. The P.D.'s rejected such accusations, but Kenny's graphic account of Molloy's involvement cer tainly suggests Ahem had some grounds for what he said. Haughey on Flynn's remark, and Haughey replied, " I haven't told them yet...". Flynn had earlier that day attacked Haughey by accusing him of placing the party in an impossible position simply in the interests of his per sonal pursuit of power. A delegation from Galway West Fianna Fail, led by Michael Cunn ingham, met with Haughey on July 9th to ob ject to Molloy being given a cabinet seat. Allegedly, Haughey heard them out and then told them in no uncertain terms that they were in no position to tell him what he should or should not do, as they had failed to deliver the goods in their own constituency. objected to Molloy But Kenny confirms getting Cabinet seat. that it was Maura Geoghegan Quinn's prin Kenny also makes it cipled objection at the clear how Haughey ran the, cabinet meeting of July show from the beginning. 11th, when more or less He describes a very everything had been settl revealing, and quite ed with the P.D.'s, which devastating, remark really shook Haughey. It Haughey made after was beginning to look in Padraig Flynn had gone evitable that Molloy would on RTE to reaffirm Fian receive a cabinet seat. na Fail's deep-seated op Geoghegan Quinn made an position to coalition. extremely bitter attack on Molloy challenged Mollov. whom she accused of having tried to wreck the party at the time of his departure. According to Kenny, Molloy was badly upset by her attack. As final details were worked out, even the loyal Bertie Ahem turned on his Leader, but by this stage Haughey had decided the deal was made and there was no more to be said. The final scene in this ex traordinary drama was played out in the Taoiseach's office. Haughey formally asked Molloy to be his Minister for Energy. The dust has now settl ed. O'Malley and Molloy have, so far, proved to be good team players, keep ing their noses to the ground, and exercising their considerable political skills in a coalition that no one would have dreamed of a year ago. Haughey has achieved his great am bition to become President of the E C , a role he has filled with statesmanlike dignity. The next General Election is some years away. Who would dare speculate what new com binations the future will reveal? One thing is cer tain, however, Fianna Fail will never be the same again. Jeff O'COBBCU

GALWAY WEST ANGLE
We in Galway West have a particular interest in the story Kenny tells because

T.I.
an aggressive negotiator

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