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CLOCH LE CARN ***NEW SERIES***

Cloch le Carn Cloch le Carn jackie heal-rae rte00064 Image Name: Cloch le Carn Cloch le Carn jackie heal-rae rte00064 Description: Always looking for a good time, Jackie Healy-Rae gets into the spirit of the Killarney Roaring 20's festival. Pic by Don MacMonagle, Killarney Copyright: Please credit photographer: Picture by Don MacMonagle
Cloch le Carn Cloch le Carn jackie heal-rae rte00047 Image Name: Cloch le Carn Cloch le Carn jackie heal-rae rte00047 Description: 12-6-07 Killarney: Brandishing the Taosieach signed document worth millions of euro to South Kerry, Deputy Jackie Healy-Rae proudly fulfills his promise to his constituents in Killarney on Tuesday. Picture by Don MacMonagle Copyright: Please credit photographer: Picture by Don MacMonagle
Cloch le Carn jackie heal-rae rte00041 Image Name: Cloch le Carn jackie heal-rae rte00041 Description: Well Holy God.. but can she fly.... Irish dancer Kelly McDonald who will represent Clare in the Miss Ireland contest at the end of this month flies into the arms of Deputy Jackie Healy-Rae during a photo shoot in Killarney on Monday. Kelly, who holds a master degree in Irish dancing is lead dancer with renowned musician Liam O'Connor and in the past has performed with Michael Flately. Deputy Healy-Rae reckons Kelly would make an ideal representative for Ireland at the Miss World competition in Poland later in the year. Picture by Don MacMonagle Copyright: Please credit photographer: Picture by Don MacMonagle
Cloch le Carn jackie heal-rae rte00038 Image Name: Cloch le Carn jackie heal-rae rte00038 Description: PEIG BACK WHERE SHE BELONGS... South Kerry Deputy Jackie Healy-Rae was over the moon when Gardai returned his mare 'Peig' ,which was located after a tip off to Gardai, tied to a tree in the North Kerry area. The albino pony was stolen over a month ago and was reunited with its owner yesterday looking deshevelled and weak. No ransom was paid and the pony is now being cared for in a secret location. Picture by Don MacMonagle Copyright: Please credit photographer: Picture by Don MacMonagle
Cloch le Carn jackie heal-rae rte00015 Image Name: Cloch le Carn jackie heal-rae rte00015 Description: JACKIE HEALY-RAE KILLARNEY 6-9-01 South Kerry TD Jackie Healy-Rae shows he can walk on water at Lough Lein Killarney. Picture by Don MacMonagle Copyright: Please credit photographer: Picture by Don MacMonagle
Cloch le Carn jackie heal-rae rte00013 Image Name: Cloch le Carn jackie heal-rae rte00013 Description: Sermon on the mount..... Ebullient Kerry South Independent Jackie Healy-Rae preaching his election manifesto whioch included longer opening hours for pubs with his son Michael. Picture by Don MacMonagle Copyright: Please credit photographer: Picture by Don MacMonagle
Cloch le Carn Bertie's Office Image Name: Cloch le Carn Bertie's Office Description: South Kerry Deputy Jackie Healy-Rae poses for a photograph in the Taoiseach's office in Dail Eireann while awaiting a meeting with Bertie Ahern after he was elected to Dail Eireann. Picture by Don MacMonagle Copyright: Please credit photographer: Picture by Don MacMonagle
Cloch le Carn The Final Rally Image Name: Cloch le Carn The Final Rally Description: Jackie Healy-Rae leads his fire burning turf men down Plunkett Street, Killarney on their final rally before the general election of 2007. Picture by Don MacMonagle Copyright: Please credit photographer: Picture by Don MacMonagle
Cloch le Carn. jackie heal-rae rte00078 Image Name: Cloch le Carn. jackie heal-rae rte00078 Description: 22-2-2011: TRUE GRIT... South Kerry Independent candidate Michael Healy-Rae canvassing the traditional way on horseback with his father Jackie and daughter Rosie in the Gap of Dunloe, Killarney which is normally restricted to horse traffic. 80 years old Jackie joined Michael to canvas some of the most difficult terrain in the county in a bid to win the last votes on Tuesday. Deputy Healy-Rae is fighting an uphill battle according to the polls to retain his father's seat. Picture by Don MacMonagle Copyright: Please credit photographer: Picture by Don MacMonagle

Cloch Le Carn   RTÉ One, 17 March 2015 at 8.30pm

 

Caitheann Cloch Le Carn súil siar ar shaol agus ar shaothar Jackie Healy-Rae, polaiteoir cróga agus Ciarraíoch go smior a chuaigh ar shlí na fírinne ar an 5ú lá de mhí na Nollag 2014.

 

Cloch le Carn  looks back at both the personal and political life of the wily Independent politician, Jackie Healy-Rae.  His daughter Rosemary remembers fondly the Healy-Rae home in Kilgarvan that was filled with her father’s storytelling and music.  She also speaks of his bitter disappointment at not being nominated by Fianna Fáil,  the disappointment of Bertie Ahern refusing to come to his aid and the bursting pride the day he took his seat in the Dáil for the first time.

 

He loved Christmas as we all did. It started at the beginning of December and he’s be telling stories of how he met Santa on the Bog Road.

 

That time when he didn’t get the nomination, I think it’s safe to say that he was devastated. He had stood back  in the wings all those years, and then when it came around to what he saw as his turn, he was dropped’

Rosemary Healy-Rae

 

Jackie Healy-Rae worked tirelessly for Fianna Fáil over several  decades, delivering many election victories for the party. He broke ranks with them in 1997 having failed to get a nomination to contest the general election in Kerry South and won a seat as an Independent.  Victory was sweet revenge for Jackie, and  when Bertie Ahern sought his support to form a government, Jackie presented him with a long list of demands for his local area.

 

Risteard Ó Lionáird worked closely with Jackie on all of his campaigns. He recalls that while Bertie Ahern  was courting Jackie’s support,  Fine Gael were offering their own sweeteners in an effort  to woo the south Kerry politician.  John Bruton’s rainbow coalition offered him a position in Cabinet as Minister for Agriculture.  In turn he used this offer to gain even more concessions from Bertie.

 

‘We went out to St. Luke’s where Celia Larkin was waiting for us. She told us she had the kettle on’

 

‘We got Fine Gael to send a fax to Jackie, outlining their offer and this fax was used in the talks

 with Fianna Fáil, to make sure all the important demands were granted’                      Risteard Ó Lionáird

 

Former Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern remembers Jackie with great affection. He recalls the rivalry between John O’Donoghue and Jackie Healy-Rae, both from the same political patch and both obsessed at being the first to claim credit for an local good news story,   a rivalry which caused John O’Donoghue some stress and anxiety.

 

‘All of Jackie’s issues were local issues , the bends , the crossroads’

 

‘John (O’Donoghue) would go ballistic  and attack some cabinet colleague for giving him (Jackie Healy-Rae) the information beforehand’                                                                   Bertie Ahern,  Former Taoiseach,     

 

Presenter/Reporter:   Pádraig O Driscoll

Producer/Director:     Seán Ó Méalóid

 

NOTE TO EDITORS :

The title of this occasional series “Cloch le Carn ” could be literally interpreted as “adding a stone to the funeral mound” but in reality the series takes a constructive but not always uncritical look at public figures who’ve made a contribution to Irish society in their lifetimes.