Willie O’Reilly: When Haughey’s entitlement did the state some service

A fascinating new book analyses the rift that developed between RTÉ and a young Charles Haughey in the 1960s

Charles Haughey: as a young justice minister, he took umbrage at the way the newsroom in RTÉ treated his pronouncements and was indignant when his press statements were edited. He expected them to be carried verbatim

No politician goes on TV or radio without being prepared these days. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail, as Roy Keane once remarked.

An unprepared guest risks being eviscerated by the likes of Claire Byrne, Matt Cooper, Sarah McInerney or any one of our other national and local journalists eager to hold power to account. That’s as it should be. Deference is a thing of the past. The fourth estate is proud of its independence ...