Visit to Charlie Haughey at Abbeville - March 2001

Early in March 2001, I received a letter from the former Taoiseach, Charlie Haughey, inviting me to his mansion in Kinsealy in north Dublin, in order to talk about my portraits. Charlie Haughey was living in Abbeville, a large Georgian mansion built by James Gandon - the architect of some of Dublin's most prominent landmarks - in 1792. On Saturday, 10 March, my father and I drove there for our appointment with Haughey at 10:00. After we turned left off the Malahide Road and up his long drive-way, we were greeted by a Garda on duty, before halting at the main entrance to the house. On knocking on the door, I was a little taken aback to see the small and old figure of an historically larger-than-life politician standing in front of me. Wearing a fleece jacket and a pair of runners, Haughey welcomed us into his home.

In the hall were the busts of his four children, along with photos of himself with world leaders such as Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev. To the left of the hall was his study, which he brought us into. Sitting on his desk was a portrait of him that I had earlier sent to him. As we sat down, I showed him a folder of portraits that I had drawn. Many of the subjects were former colleagues or opponents of his. As he moved through them, he would refer to many of them by their first names. As he came to a portrait that I had drawn of John Wayne, he stared at it for a moment, before looking up at my father. He looked back down at the drawing and then pointed at my father. 'That's you!', he said to him!!

We then entered into a conversation, where we talked about the quality of life for artists in Ireland, and he asked me what I hoped to do once I completed my Leaving Certificate, which I was due to undertake some months later.

After this, Haughey brought us on a tour of Abbeville. The walls were almost completely covered in paintings and drawings by many of Ireland's most accomplished artists, including Nathaniel Hone, Robert Ballagh and Sean O'Sullivan. Many were portraits of Haughey and his family, including his father-in-law, Sean Lemass. One painting that he pointed out was by Robert Ballagh. Haughey said that he commissioned Ballagh to paint it in order to mark his first address to a Fianna Fail Ard Fheis as Taoiseach in 1980. What he hoped for was a close-up depiction of himself. However, what Ballagh did was show Haughey on his podium in the background of the picture, with the backs of the heads of the audience in the foreground. Despite not being as he had originally envisaged, Haughey said that he was very happy with it. He also speculated as to whether the back of one of the audience member's heads was that of Ballagh himself. (Five years later, I asked Ballagh this myself, and he confirmed that it was indeed the back of his head.)

After little under an hour in the house, my father and I went to take our leave. Walking back towards the hall, Haughey showed us a rug, on which was the coat of arms that the Chief Herald had put together for him. On it were the words 'Marte Nostro'. He explained that this meant: 'By our own efforts'. Leaving the house, he wished me well, and encouraged me to succeed with my portraits. As we drove back down the drive-way away from the house, Haughey stood at his door and waved us off, before turning back inside.

The experience was a surreal but strongly encouraging one, and one that I greatly appreciated.