Deifying TK Whitaker does a big disservice to his successors

The tributes last week on the passing of Ireland’s “man of the century” were heartfelt and uniform. The architect of modern Ireland and national treasure were the oft-repeated phrases when reference was made to the former secretary at the Department of Finance. But do secretaries general at Irish government departments share these views about TK Whitaker?

I have spoken to four secretaries general. Two are retired, including a contemporary of Whitaker’s, while two ...