Brian Lenihan RIP (condolences thread)

There is a legacy thread and a condolence thread.

I am of the opinion that anyone who is unable to understand that simple distiction is not best placed to give opinions on the complexity of a political career.

Whatever people might of his decisions when he was in office, etc, the kind of determination which he showed when he battled through a crippling illness to keep working must be acknowledged.

The man gave his all until the very last. He has all of my respect for that.

RIP Brian Lenihan.

I in no way always agreed with the manner in which he approached politics, but I believe that he was a fundamentally good man who certainly served in one of the most difficult positions of Irish government, at one of its most difficult periods in Irish history, during one of the most difficult periods in his own life. His commitment to politics was admirable, as was his public stoicism.

RIP.

And now for the outrageous comment that cannot be challenged because it is positive. He was possibly the greatest Irishman that ever lived. After Garret Fitzgerald that is

Brian Lenihan was a politician, a Minister in the last Government and a public representative which will always leave him open to criticism

He was however, that which should not be forgotten:

A son to his mother Anne and late father, a brother to Conor, Niall, Paul and Anita

A husband to Patricia and a father to Tom and Claire

A nephew to Mary O'Rourke

A young man who could have given many more years to his family, his constituents and his country was it not for the plague of cancer

RIP Brian

i saw the headlines on the sunday independent about brian lenihan today and i just want to say that i respect and admire the man for continuing to work while suffering from cancer. my father died from pancreatic cancer on the 23rd of june this year shortly after brian passed on and i think of him all the time. i am sure brian's family miss him terribly i know i miss my father an awful lot.

winter soldier wrote: »

i saw the headlines on the sunday independent about brian lenihan today and i just want to say that i respect and admire the man for continuing to work while suffering from cancer. my father died from pancreatic cancer on the 23rd of june this year shortly after brian passed on and i think of him all the time. i am sure brian's family miss him terribly i know i miss my father an awful lot.

I have great admiration for Brian Lenihan, and his contribution to the country. Politicians of all hues could learn from his patriotism and sense of duty. His family can, and should, be extremely proud of him.

Didn't see this thread initially but just wanted to add the last of my few encounters with Brian Lenihan.

I was working, at the time, as doorman in a venue that ran various types of shows. There was a ballet show this particular evening. Brian came in to see his daughter perform, I believe. I remember noting him coming in, not only because of who he was, but the fact that he made time to say a warm hello...which is more than I could say for the majority who frequented these kind of shows and saw it as an opportunity to laud VIP status upon themselves. But how and ever, he's a politician, it's what he does for a dayjob.

This was around the time Fianna Fail were getting HAMMERED in opinion polls. It would have been a year or so before the cancer was announced.

After each show, everyone would stand outside and chat about how wonderful their children were. Tonight was different. Instead, every one of these people decided to give Lenihan a piece of their mind. It started simple with one father shaking his hand, then pulling him in to tell him what he really thought. Then a crowd started gathering. Brian, to his credit, tried to deal with their queries and engage them rather than putting his head down and wading through the crowd. Eventually, though, I had to step in being the only security on shift that night. The anger was building and he only would have been stuck there all night.

Throughout it all, regardless of my thoughts on his policies or handling of the job, I could only feel sympathy for him. Here was a man who'd spent his entire day, no doubt, frantically trying to fix a mess he himself hadn't created. Now was his downtime...his time to just be a good, supportive father. And all I could think was..."This is his life now." Wherever he went, 24/7, if he stepped outside the house then this is what he would be met with for the foreseeable future.

It took him getting cancer, I guess, for people to back off.

You have to imagine he got into politics wanting to change things. Wanting to do some good, make a difference. And that's what his life had become. He put himself up for it, people will argue, and they'll also argue that it was well paid. But how much money is worth having a precious moment like watching your daughter in ballet tainted by being met with near riots reacting to your very presence?