‘Thundering Disgrace’ incident was 50 years ago
This week 50 years ago, the ‘Thundering Disgrace’ political bombshell exploded at Columb Barracks, Mullingar, bringing about a constitutional crisis and the resignation of the President of Ireland, Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh.
The story broke on October 18, 1976, when a young journalist from the Westmeath Examiner, Don Lavery, was dispatched to cover a routine marking – Paddy Donegan, the Defence Minister was coming to Columb Barracks for the official opening of a canteen and central heating unit that cost £40,000 (the equivalent of nearly €400,000 today).
Don, who worked with the Westmeath Examiner from 1974 to 1980, later recalled how the minister threw down his script and told Don he would give him “‘some news for the press’”.
He proceeded to criticise President Ó Dálaigh for referring the government’s Emergency Powers Bill to the Supreme Court to test its constitutionality. He declared: “In my opinion, he (President Ó Dálaigh) is a thundering disgrace,” a phrase that reverberated in political circles for decades.
Four days later, the fifth president of Ireland resigned and declared that he would not be returning to public life.
The Westmeath Examiner reported that by 4pm on October 18, “the lines were hot to Mullingar”.
“The media – national and overseas papers and radio and television – had got the tip off before any reporter had even written the story and informants, apparently took careful note of the minister’s words, because they were quite accurate in the main, if a little exaggerated otherwise,” it stated.
The Westmeath Examiner recorded that present when the minister made his controversial comments were Minister for Justice, Paddy Cooney, TD, Deputy Gerry L’Estrange, Senator Tim McAuliffe, EJ Higgins, chairman of Westmeath County Council, Joe Feely, chairman of Mullingar Town Commissioners, other members of the local authorities, and representatives of various organisations, as well as military personnel.
In a 2016 RTÉ Scannal documentary, Don Lavery refuted suggestions that Minister Donegan had been drunk when he made the remarks: “I saw absolutely zero evidence of that, there was no smell of drink off him, he didn’t slur his words, he didn’t stagger or stumble.”
Surprise was expressed afterwards that none of the military officers had reacted to the criticism of the president, Commander in Chief of the Army. “People expressed surprise to me afterwards that the army officers had not reacted in some way,” Don stated on the RTÉ programme. “It was even suggested to me by an army officer that they should have arrested Paddy Donegan for his insult.”
Attention focused on An Taoiseach Liam Cosgrove, as the country waited to see what he would do about Minister Donegan. He offered to resign but his resignation was rejected by Mr Cosgrove.
In reply to a letter of apology from Mr Donegan, Mr Ó Dálaigh said the special relationship between the president and the defence minister had been irreparably breached by what Mr Donegan had said and where he had said it.
When the taoiseach continued to defend his minister and a Fianna Fail call for Paddy Donegan’s resignation was defeated, President Ó Dálaigh resigned. He died on March 21, 1978, and was given a state funeral.
Watch the Scannal programme from 2016 here.
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