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Graham Hughes/Photocall Ireland

Former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds has passed away

The former Fianna Fáil politician led the country between 1992 and 1994.

Updated 10.48am

FORMER TAOISEACH ALBERT Reynolds has died, aged 81.

Reynolds was first elected to the Dáil in 1977, and went on to lead the country as Taoiseach in two separate terms between 1992 and 1994 – first in Fianna Fáil’s coalition with the Progressive Democrats, and secondly with Labour.

He also served as Minister in a number of different departments, the first being Posts and Telegraphs in 1979.

His family issued a statement on his death to national broadcasters RTÉ and BBC, saying that he passed away in the early hours of this morning following a long illness.

Reynolds was Taoiseach during controversies such as the X Case and Beef Tribunal, and helped bring about progress in the Northern Ireland peace process.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny extended his sympathies to Reynolds’ family and Fianna Fáil, and paid tribute to Reynolds’ achievements:

Albert Reynolds brought an energy and drive to the development of business and economic growth during his tenure in office as Minister for Industry and as Minister for Finance. As Taoiseach he played an important part in bringing together differing strands of political opinion in Northern Ireland and as a consequence made an important contribution to the development of the peace process which eventually lead to the Good Friday Agreement.

Speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Fergus Finlay, Foreign Policy Advisor to the Coalition Governments between 1993 and 1997, paid tribute to Reynolds, saying he will never be forgotten for his contribution to the peace process.

Former Fianna Fáil politician, and constituency rival of Reynolds, Mary O’Rourke, told the same programme that he had two aims as Taoiseach.

One was to bring peace to Ireland and the second aim was to bring up the economy of Ireland.
“He succeeded in the first and partially succeeded in the second.”

Reynolds is survived by his wife, Kathleen, and seven children. O’Rourke spoke of his “devotion” to this family throughout his career, and called it a “sterling quality” in a very busy person.

Courts Reynolds/daughters Albert Reynolds with daughters Miriam (left) and Leonie, in 1996. Mike Stephens / PA Mike Stephens / PA / PA

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams also spoke about how close Reynolds was with his wife.
“She was hugely supportive and very, very loyal.”
Adams said the former Taoiseach brought a “straightforwardness and a down-to-earthness” to the Peace Process and had the “ability to act when it mattered”.
Fianna Fáil TD Timmy Dooley told this website that Reynolds’ achievements were “really tremendous”.
Everybody recognises his fantastic contribution to peace in Northern Ireland.

“Over the last 20 years to some extent people had almost forgotten the role that he had played and now in passing that will be back centre stage, and rightly so.”

Party leader Micheal Martin said “there weren’t too many around at the time who believed it could happen”.

He told RTÉ there were a lot of cynics who thought he was going about it the wrong way

His “close relationship” with John Major, according to Martin was “instrumental” in the process.

Reynolds’ successor, Bertie Ahern, said he played a key part in getting the economy back.

He worked hard in the European system to get those kinds of resources that gave the kick-off in the 90s to the Irish economy.

“Albert Reynolds was an astute political leader who will always be remembered for his stalwart efforts in pursuing peace in Ireland,” Ahern said in a statement today. “He was not afraid to take political risks to further the path of reconciliation.”

So much of this achievement has its roots in Albert’s courage, perseverance and his commitment to democratic politics. When the definitive history of this period is written, his name deserves to stand tall.

Like many others today, Ahern spoke about the extremely strong relationship Reynolds had with his wife Kathleen who he said was “so important in Albert’s life”.

“Family always came first”, the former Taoiseach noted.

Eamonn Farrell / Photocall Ireland Eamonn Farrell / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

Another former Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, also expressed his sadness at Reynolds’ death, describing him has a statesman who had a simple objective:

…to end violence and to set in train a framework for inclusive and exclusively democratic politics across the entire island of Ireland.

Eamonn Farrell / Photocall Ireland Eamonn Farrell / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

President Michael D Higgins, who served with Reynolds in Cabinet said he found him to be “very supportive of many of the cultural initiatives” he introduced.

“I recall his great courtesy and relaxed manner in all our dealings with various issues,” he said.

Commenting on the news today, Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan said Reynolds “took risks for peace”. He added that Reynolds’ legacy will be best honoured by continuing his courageous work to secure an Ireland that is fully at peace and where all traditions are recognised.

- Additional reporting by Michelle Hennessy

Albert Reynolds: A political life in pictures >

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    Mute Chonky Racoon
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    Apr 1st 2019, 7:48 PM

    Sad! If I was to hazard I guess I’d plastic has a role to play.. Bet if you opened the whale up you’d find a lot of plastic

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    Mute Colette Kearns
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    Apr 1st 2019, 7:56 PM

    @Chonky Racoon: that’s what it says in the article!!

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    Mute Chonky Racoon
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    Apr 1st 2019, 9:34 PM

    @Colette Kearns: I didn’t read it. Big oppsies by me :)

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    Mute Alan Christopher
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    Apr 2nd 2019, 4:37 PM

    @Chonky Racoon: while it may well have plastic in its stomach (almost definitely does, to be honest), it wouldn’t be as common with sperm whales as they are toothed whales who actually hunt. Large amounts of plastic tend to be ingested by baleen whales who filter feed and don’t actively seek out specific prey.

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    Mute j4VEpUO8
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    Apr 1st 2019, 8:11 PM

    Very sad reading!. Magnificent creatures!, yet man is destroying their simple right of life!.

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    Mute missroisin
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    Apr 1st 2019, 7:56 PM

    Maybe one the 100 or so foreign Factory trawlers towing of the west coast of Ireland got it up in there nets and then dumped back the body and then it got washed up. That would be my guess.

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    Mute Tweety McTweeter
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    Apr 1st 2019, 8:21 PM

    @missroisin: You think a trawler accidentally picked up a 40ft whale and then threw it back in? Are you for real?

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    Mute Liam Whelan
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    Apr 1st 2019, 8:42 PM

    @Tweety McTweeter: have you ever seen a factory ship? They’re absolutely huge, there nets are about a mile or so long and just as tall! It could quite possibly be a cause!

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    Mute Shane Hughes
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    Apr 1st 2019, 9:10 PM

    @Liam Whelan: no your right. I went to the shops earlier and when I got home I found an elephant in my pocket. Must have picked it up by mistake.

    69
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    Mute missroisin
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    Apr 2nd 2019, 5:43 AM

    @Tweety McTweeter: google annelies llena and magiris trawler , there is a massive fleet of worlds largest trawlers fishing of Ireland and yes you would fit 10 in there nets . So sort your comments out with facts I never said a trawler, I said a super trawler.

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    Mute dowthebow
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    Apr 2nd 2019, 4:16 PM

    @missroisin: well you didn’t say super you said foreign…

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    Mute Alan Christopher
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    Apr 2nd 2019, 4:40 PM

    @dowthebow: Well she said factory trawlers, which can have nets spanning close to 1km. So the point still stands.

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    Mute Pixie McMullen
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    Apr 1st 2019, 8:01 PM

    Don`t rule out Sonar from Submarines from the neighbours, especially in the present climate and friction between countries going on around the world

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    Mute Billy McNamara
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    Apr 1st 2019, 8:19 PM

    Could be just old age,and the animal knowing it’s end was near.Sperm Whales feed very deep on squid and unlikely plastic would be the cause in this instance.Many animals do die from old age,even in this polluted age.

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    Mute j4VEpUO8
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    Apr 1st 2019, 8:23 PM

    @Billy McNamara: I agree Billy but unfortunately plastic has been found recently at depths only a sub can dive. Was on BBC over the weekend. Still devastating for the whales.

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    Mute Paraic
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    Apr 1st 2019, 10:16 PM

    A lot of conspiracy theories floating about. Whales aren’t immortal y’know.

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    Mute Alan Christopher
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    Apr 2nd 2019, 4:42 PM

    @Paraic: Conspiracies, or just theories? Absolutely could have just been a old whale though, that is true.

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    Mute Alan Christopher
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    Apr 2nd 2019, 4:43 PM

    @Paraic: Scratch that. I see the conspiracy theories now!

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    Mute Johnny Conway
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    Apr 1st 2019, 9:23 PM

    So the royal navy is still patrolling our waters in the west killing Whales with there sonar again

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    Mute The Great Unwashed
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    Apr 2nd 2019, 2:17 PM

    @Johnny Conway:
    Were whales immortal before submarines were invented?

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    Mute Angry_Man41
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    Apr 1st 2019, 9:05 PM

    Ya, would b interesting to open this creature up and see how much plastic is in him. Would b shocked if it was very little.
    He may have died of natural causes, but plastic a curse for these creatures

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    Mute j4VEpUO8
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    Apr 1st 2019, 9:15 PM

    @Angry_Man41: I very much doubt that an autopsy will be carried out €€€

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    Mute Who cares?
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    Apr 1st 2019, 9:32 PM

    @T Jay O’Mea: I’ll go down and cut him open and have a look if someone pays my diesel!

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    Mute Sean O' Donovan
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    Apr 1st 2019, 10:11 PM

    @Who cares?: Time to set up a Go-Fund me page

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    Mute Denis McClean
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    Apr 2nd 2019, 12:26 AM

    There might be plastic and there might not. Fact is, a very distant mammalian cousin died but it’s a bonanza for those who will and should be free to feed on the carcass. Circle of life and hopefully nothing more. As the title says, nothing sinister, though they can pong for a while. Glorious creature.

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    Mute jamesdecay
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    Apr 1st 2019, 11:11 PM

    A stinking, rotting carcass washed up on the beach is a sad but fitting metaphor for Brexit.

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    Mute OpenLitterMap
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    Apr 1st 2019, 10:18 PM

    If you want to do something about plastic pollution, please share data on litter anywhere @ openlittermap.com – it’s like Pokémon Go for Tidy towns!

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    Mute GᗩᒪᒪEᖇY ᗩᑎᗪ ᗰᑌSEᑌᗰ ᑭᖇO-ᒪIᖴE STᗩᖴᖴ Iᑎ IᖇEᒪᗩᑎᗪ
    Favourite GᗩᒪᒪEᖇY ᗩᑎᗪ ᗰᑌSEᑌᗰ ᑭᖇO-ᒪIᖴE STᗩᖴᖴ Iᑎ IᖇEᒪᗩᑎᗪ
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    Apr 2nd 2019, 11:08 AM

    A pity. Such a majestic animal.
    Ireland has been suffering from a low Sperm Whale count for some time now.

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    Mute this_is_ireland
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    Apr 1st 2019, 11:01 PM

    Premature

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