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Tuesday, May 06, 2008
BERTIE AHERN was preparing to walk away from power today as he insisted that helping end centuries of bloodshed in Ireland was his proudest legacy.
The Taoiseach’s extraordinary 11-year dominance of national politics is charted in a special Irish Examiner supplement as he formally tenders his resignation to President Mary McAleese.
Mr Ahern will use his last full day in office to underscore his role in the peace process by meeting outgoing north first minister Ian Paisley at the Battle of the Boyne site. The two leaders will use 17th century swords to jointly cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony for the historic event.
"Ending the bloodshed and conflict on this island was my overriding ambition in 1997. Despite setbacks and much painstaking negotiations, we have eventually arrived at a final and lasting peace," Mr Ahern writes in the Irish Examiner.
Mr Ahern, who will remain Taoiseach until the Dáil elects his successor, will conduct his final act in office tomorrow at a commemoration of the 1916 Rising.
The Taoiseach has conducted a long goodbye from power, which included a speech to the US Congress, since announcing his surprise resignation last month following continuing controversy centred on his personal finances.
Mr Ahern will return to give evidence at the Mahon Tribunal later in the month after saying he expected there would be no more revelations to emerge from the probe.
His long, and at times turbulent, term in office saw Mr Ahern win three successive general election and become the state’s longest-serving Taoiseach after Eamon de Valera.
Mr Ahern also claimed stemming emigration, building economic prosperity and pushing forward rights for disabled people were his significant achievements, as well as the peace process.
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