Dessie Can Do It, part one: the birth of a new political force

Today Hugh and Pat embark on a deep dive into the history of a political party that, despite its small size, had an enormous and lasting impact on Ireland.

Born of the dire economic and political realities of 1980s Ireland, the Progressive Democrats, or PDs, spent half of their 23-year existence in power despite never having more than a handful of TDs - and sometimes far fewer. Under successive leaders Des O'Malley, Mary Harney and Michael McDowell, the party used that power to fight for lower taxes and economic liberalisation, reshaping the Irish political landscape along the way. But despite their outsized impact, the PDs could not survive.

In the first of three episodes Pat traces the birth of the party to the misery of mid-80s Ireland, the enmity between Fianna Fail leader Charles Haughey and prickly, clever Des O'Malley, a natural leader and a Fianna Fáil TD for Limerick.

In a controversy emblematic of 1980s Ireland, O’Malley was expelled from Fianna Fáil over the issue of contraception, ridding Haughey of a problem - or so he thought. But what followed was the emergence of a new political force that would threaten Ireland's sclerotic two-and-a-half party system.

Would you like to receive daily insights into world events delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Denis Staunton's Global Briefing newsletter here: irishtimes.com/newsletters/global-briefing/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(1053)

The spiralling projected cost of the Metrolink brings the NCH to mind

Ellen Coyne and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:It was revealed this week that the planned Dublin Metrolink could cost up to €19 billion. The last Metrolink es...

31 Juli 59min

Could India’s ‘Gen Z’ protests bring down Narendra Modi?

Narendra Modi’s 12 year rule of India has never looked so fragile.Weeks of protests have engulfed the country following the leak of a medical entrance exam paper, which forced nearly two million stude...

29 Juli 27min

All signs point to Budget 2027 not having much room to manoeuvre

Ellen Coyne and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:Budget season has already started with the Summer Economic Statement pointing to less cash being available for new...

24 Juli 51min

Does salesman Andy Burnham have a product to sell?

Returning to the podcast today is UK political commentator, broadcaster and author Iain Dale to talk to Hugh about the arrival of Andy Burnham as prime minister and the death of Iain's friend Ann Widd...

22 Juli 32min

How Europe's chief negotiator sees Brexit 10 years on

Michel Barnier is best known in Ireland for his central role in the EU's negotiations with the UK over Brexit almost ten years ago. But Barnier has also played a central role in French politics for de...

20 Juli 39min

What to expect from Aughinish Alumina report and the call to ban e-scooters

Harry McGee and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:The Government’s report into Aughinish Alumina is expected to say that material produced there may or may not have...

17 Juli 39min

End of term: what was the biggest moment of the political season?

As the Dáil shuts down for the summer it's time for Hugh, Pat and Jack to take stock of the term gone by. But the biggest political event of the year didn't happen in Leinster House. The April fuel pr...

15 Juli 40min