News is emerging this morning of the death of former FF Finance Minister Brian Lenihan who was known to be suffering from cancer. More later.
Update (2.05pm). While his battle with pancreatic cancer had been public knowlegde for a considerable period of time, the death of the former finance minister still seems quite sudden, perhaps due to his continued visibility on the public stage.
At a political level, Fianna Fáil will rue his passing on multiple levels. It brings an end to the parliamentary presence of the extended Lenihan-O’Rourke dynasty, and, also Fianna Fáil Dáil representation in Dublin, with Kildare South now providing their closest seat to the capital.
Whatever he is remembered for privately, by his family and friends, even at his death, it is impossible not to mention the bank guarantee, the IMF-ECB deal and the economic morass of the last few years. On the BBC, Jim Fitzpatrick states:
His legacy will be forever tied to that decision and its consequences which continue to define Ireland’s current economic plight.