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THAT WORD – GUBU – has been raising its head again this month.
One of those expressions peculiar to Ireland, it’s derived from Charlie Haughey’s attempts to sum up his shock and disbelief in the wake of the capture of double-killer Malcolm MacArthur in the the home of the Attorney General.
Conor Cruise O’Brien conflated Haughey’s stream-of-consciousness adjective-soup (‘grotesque’, ‘unbelievable’, ‘bizarre’ and ‘unprecedented’ were some of the words the then-Taoiseach reached for) in his newspaper column.
The phrase had sticking power.
And while it’s primarily connected, in the public consciousness, with the Haughey era and in particular that short-living minority government in the early-80s, it’s been used in the Dáil to refer to everything from tribunals to the health service and, more recently, the Garda whistleblowing controversy.
More than three decades on, the extraordinary events that gave rise to the expression still seem unbelievable today. They’re no less bizarre or grotesque either.
MacArthur bludgeoned 27-year-old nurse Bridie Gargan to death as she was sunbathing in the Phoenix Park on 22 July 1982.
Days later, he shot dead farmer Donal Dunne on his own land. After a massive manhunt he was eventually located in the Dalkey apartment of the State’s principal law officer – leading, as you might imagine, to instant public consternation.
“Both murders were very shocking, and happened in quick succession,” journalist Joe Joyce, who covered the unfolding events for The Guardian, said.
But there was no consciousness in the media in general or in politics that these murders could have any relation with people in government.
What happened?
The sole witness to the murder of Bridie Gargan broke his silence about the case in 2011 -the year before MacArthur’s release from an open prison in Co Wicklow.
Paddy Byrne, who was working as a gardener at the US Ambassador’s residence in the Phoenix Park, recalled spotting a bearded man moving amongst the trees towards a car parked by Chesterfield Avenue – the main route through the park.
“I saw this guy who was dressed a bit queer, with a hat and heavy pullover on such a hot day,” Byrne told RTÉ radio’s Valerie Cox.
When the young nurse, who had stopped to sunbathe on her way home from work at St James’s Hospital, returned to the car, Byrne saw MacArthur follow and sit beside her.
“He started pulling her hair and began punching her in the side of the head,” the gardener recounted. He immediately decided to intervene.
I went to the car and hit it a belt with my fist and shouted at him. Ms Gargan was in the back of the car with a newspaper over her and I could hear her crying. He then pulled a gun on me and told me to back off.
The attacker got out of the car and threatened Byrne again with the gun before finally driving off.
As MacArthur sped out the gates of the park toward the city an ambulance driver noticed blood on the window and the parking permit for St James’s on the windscreen. Concluding that the driver was a doctor transporting an injured patient, he set his sirens blaring and gave the car an escort through the traffic towards the south-inner city hospital.
The car was abandoned, with the victim still inside, in nearby Rialto. Bridie Gargan, who had been beaten with a lumphammer, was pronounced dead four days later at the Richmond Hospital.
Co Offaly
As gardaí carried out their investigation, another murder rocked the nation just three days later.
The killer of Bridie Gargan had travelled to Edenderry in Co Offaly, where he met Donal Dunne – a farmer who had advertised a shotgun for sale.
The unsuspecting seller was shot in the face by MacArthur, who left his body partially hidden, stole his car and returned to Dublin.
“The murders happened in pretty quick succession – and nobody initially knew whether they were connected or not,” said Joyce, who later wrote about the case in his book about Haughey ‘The Boss’.
The murder rate in Dublin was very low at the time. You had lots of people being killed in the North – of course, politically motivated violence. But you didn’t have drug wars or anything like that.
They were shocking – particularly the murder in the Phoenix Park. The idea that somebody could be just sunbathing in the Phoenix Park and be murdered was just unbelievable.
Dalkey
As the manhunt continued, the public first became aware of MacArthur and his connection with the murders when he was was arrested at the home of Patrick Connolly.
After returning from Offaly, the 36-year-old killer had tried to rob a former American diplomat, Harry Bieling, in Killiney. After Bieling escaped, McArthur made his way to Pilot View in nearby Dalkey and the apartment of the Attorney General, who was an old friend.
Gardaí had connected the two killings at this stage as the attacker had taken the car in both incidents. The net closed in on McArthur in the wake of the Bieling raid, when gardaí at Dalkey received a phonecall telling them not to worry about investigating, as the whole thing had been a prank.
The caller used his own name.
MacArthur was arrested on the evening of Friday 13th August, after gardaí met Connolly – an innocent party in the whole affair, who thought he was simply putting up an old acquaintance - on his way back from work at Government Buildings.
As the double-killer was questioned, the saga took another yet another bizarre turn the following day: the Attorney General insisted on jetting off, as planned, for his holidays in America, telling gardaí he’d speak to them on his return.
Haughey, who was away on Inishvickillane when his chief whip, Bertie Ahern, called him with the news, managed to phone Connolly in London as he stopped off on his way to New York – but the AG refused to return to give a statement.
By the time he’d reached the US the message had sunk in, however. Besieged by reporters, Connolly got straight back on a returning plane. Having run the gauntlet of local press once again in London, he was driven straight to Haughey’s Kinsealy home on his arrival back in Dublin.
After a conversation lasting half an hour, Connolly tendered his resignation. He later returned to the bar where, according to his obituary last year in the Irish Times, “he was welcomed back by colleagues who had great sympathy for his predicament”.
In yet another twist to the case, it emerged that during his stay in Dalkey MacArthur had attended a match in Croke Park with Connolly. The pair even shared a VIP box, near the Garda Commissioner.
“The shock was that a suspect in these particularly brutal murders had been arrested in the Attorney General’s house, which was the first thing really that linked the murder to politics,” Joyce said.
“I don’t think anyone had been considering or thought that there was any sort of political connection of any kind – hence Haughey’s shock and surprise and amazement at this bizarre chain of events, which it truly was.
We’re all talking about it with the benefit of hindsight now – but nobody knew what the hell was going on.
Shocked by the turn of events, the Taoiseach struggled to do justice to the magnitude of what had happened as he spoke to reporters.
He made several attempts to encapsulate the situation, repeating words like ‘bizarre’ and ‘unbelievable’ as he spoke:
This was, as I say, a grotesque situation one that none of us has ever experienced before. I don’t think there’s anyone in this room who has ever had such an experience of such an unprecedented situation.
Said Joyce:
The irony in a way is that Haughey’s actual adjectives were merely expressing a genuine total shock and surprise.
Effectively Haughey ended up in the firing line in relation to something that had absolutely nothing to do with him or with politics or with his government or with anything like that – apart from this embarrassment that the Attorney General first appeared to have a suspect staying with him, even though he wasn’t harbouring him in any sense.
The idea that bizarre things kept happening to the Fianna Fáil-led government became its defining characteristic. Haughey and co were out of office by the following year – but the controversies continued, notably with the revelations about the bugging of journalists’ and even ministers’ phones.
That particular scandal had such far-reaching consequences that it would ultimately lead to Haughey’s resignation from politics eleven years later, when he was forced to resign as Taoiseach in 1992.
MacArthur was sentenced to life in prison for the killing of Bridie Gargan. He was never charged over the killing of Donal Dunne.
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So, FF are the biggest party again. What a f****d up country.
You can’t brand an entire party because of what a small number of people did. There are a lot of new people who had nothing to do with the recession in the party and the FF councillors are a very different crowd to the TD’S.
Sorry Shane, if you join the mafia you join to change it into st Vincent DePaul. Equally when you join FF you join to get a chance to stick your snout in the trough.
Martin, Hanifin, O”Dea, still in the Party….Close it down and start again
Ive said it a million times. the most backward, stupid, ignorant people in the western world…FACT
The Irish are ok with corruption. Voting for the Bertie’s the Brian’s and the Michael’s means core values haven’t changed in FF and FG are no different i.e. Lowry Tipperary. It makes the people who vote for them equally corrupt or just dumb.
Just like yourself!
No matter who won what the turnout overall was in the !ow fifty percent range shame on all able bodied voters who could not be bothered to do so
A large number of the people who’s names are on the register have been forced to emigrate so if you take the number who live here and who voted the turnout would be higher.
Net emigration is about 0.7% of the population per annum.
Its apathy that rules.
Why is Ming wearing a suit now?
Per annum but I know people who moved abroad a decade ago who still get a polling card at their parents house. Then there are others (small number) with multiple cards at different addresses
Thats mings Hemp Suit :)
Because he can Paddy!
John Sherlock thanks for pointing that out about the large number on the electorate who have emigrated who could not vote had not actually thought of that and actually that is another scandal that our people forced to emigrate no longer have any say in who is elected
Amongst the highest turnout in Europe, not so bad. The apathy across the continent highlights the rot in European politics.
Must be made of hemp…:)
Gilmore – RRRREEEEESSSSIIIGGGNNEEEDD & Ggggooonnneeee – Yipeeeeeeee!
General Election now please ?
Delighted for Ming ! They’ve try’d to make him look like a joke all these yrs jokes on them now ..
I don’t know why people voted for him. I have a relation who knows him and he told me Ming never finished school and has been on the dole his whole life doing anything but smoking pot and now where sending him to Europe. That’s a joke.
Youre the joke Shane, its on you :)
If thats true then he probably has more in common than most of the electorate, At least hes spent some time on the dole. Most of our TDs come from a political dynasty and list their profession as public representative since they left school.
Shane….your ignorance is why Ming Flanagan romped in….I hope there are many more like you in the FF Party!
He’ll be more interested in visiting Amsterdam than Brussels I’d reckon…..
That is just about the most stupid, inane, ridiculous statement to be posted today. I have a friend that knows a guy too… And he used to smoke pot!! Typical stupefied answer from someone who probably reads glossy mags at the weekend and thinks they’re all true stories as well..
More working class people like Ming needed on politics , we’ve always had too many of the ivory tower variety who don’t know how the other half lives . Well done to Ming overcoming the prejudice and sneering of the elites
All over now and in 2 weeks 99% won’t remember who their local reps are and won’t hear hide not hair from them till next election. Democracy me a*se
Eamon Ryan !! I dont think he knows his arse from his elbow!! He was interviewed on Euronews about 2 years and painted a picture far from the truth! Actually, nowhere near the truth! He has as much political clout as Kenneth Egan!
Its crazy to think there are hundreds of thousands of people all over the country hoping Eamonn Ryan doesnt get elected…..on environmental grounds…his tireless backing of big business in the form of giant international utility wind developers despite all the independent scientific evidence showing its minimal effect on CO2 reduction and its devestating effect on the landscape and environment has shown him up to be foolish in the extreme and an idealogicalb puppet for fat cat developers..
I sincerely hope Hayes gets the seat; not because I support him or his Party but because he’s an open book – a blueshirt true and true and that gets my respect! But the Ryan boyo hunts with the hare and chases with the hounds – no respect!
Well done to all anti-austerity independent candidates who won seats in the councils with no funding, no backing from major parties, no massive PR machines.. People who slogged it out knocking on people’s doors in all weathers 6 days a week in small teams of dedicated people on a mission to show the Irish electorate that there was an alternative to the major political parties out there who could represent them in local governments across the country. Here in Kildare we in the CAWHT campaign told our Labour councillors – “axe the tax or watch your vote collapse”. Unlike Labour, we kept our promises and this election saw Labour decimated in the council and we won our representatives the seats they deserve through hard work and pure people power. To any and all people who gave up their evenings and weekends to be a part of any of these campaigns – well done, you should be proud of your achievement.
Great coverage over the weekend.Well done Journal.ie
Thanks a million – much appreciated!
Over 400,000 people unemployed I wonder how many of these people got to work at the count centres for a nice little bonus to their benefits?
Hey Paul i was in one center, and a man who takes care of his wife who is ill.Two people who are retired.There was only four in people where i was.
Why is there a re count?
not many u can bet doller
None Paul Mc , all teachers and DCC clerical workers
Interesting that Mary Lou qualifies Boylan as ‘the real deal’. Obviously she regards the rest of Sinn Fein as being fakers of some sort. Refreshingly honest of her.
John you are one sad man
hahaha bitter much!
Id say your a bitter bitter man this morning, SF most popular party on the island of Ireland by vote share, as well as a likely MEP representing all 4 regions in Ireland. The reaction of trolls like yourself makes it all the more sweeter for the rest of us!
Not bitter at all. Real election is in 2016. All to play for. Good luck to SF in their efforts at democracy.
Most popular party is not true, but I’ll leave you to your version of math; Pearse Doherty must have been tutoring.
What planet are you living on?
Johngahan – You are in awful form ? Something seismic must have happened over the weekend that has you now inventing things that people haven’t said at all !
Where’s your other Blueshirt Gobaloon Richard Rodgers ?
Has he gone on an awful tear altogether ?
Tell him that we miss him , will you ?
Shows what u know Paul there not payed anymore for counting I’m counting plus I work so it’s not all unemployed
Why does a small country need so many idiots to run it, and very badly at that
Yes indeed…… lol for the day.
We’v 350,000 public servants , New Zealand have 125 , 000 , population is the same for both NZ and us and Canada has 228,000 for population of 35 million , so what’s going on ?
Jobs for the boys…….
Europe the final countdown, lol!
The country doing so well in making a change through the power of the vote.Then you have the people of south Kerry voting in the Healy reas,and they wonder why their are the bud of jokes?
“Brendan corish, Frank cluskey, Dick spring…can you here me Dick spring? You’re boys took a hell of a beating”
Fully agree james r. Ming can ask them to stop moving house every 3 months to strasbourg and give us the 100 mil that costs to reduce ou r debt to eu/german banks. Time for a straight talker in brussells who messed up the euro, banking regulation etc. Brussels is a sleepy cosy place and packed with highly paid useless people, systems, and policies…just look at the mess europe is in. Time for no nonsense straight talking and ming is the man to do it….hopefully rte/tv3 will actually let us know what goes on there for a change….
Over 13500 votes for Teresa Heaney wtf
that is scarier then the cork peoples choice of f failed
That arsehole Mr Austerity Hayes scrapes his way in, no doubt he’ll view this as a ringing endorsement of FG’s troika appeasement.
Too soon for Ryan to be back at that level. As for the ignorant Blackrock voters …hope that they get what they deserve.
So the fool ming is happy to dress up for Europe but hasn’t the same respect for our own Dàil !! Good riddance to him we wont have to listen to his foolish rants again!
Carlos Valderama certainty does look delighted.
I’ll be sad when all this live blogging is over, it gave me an excuse to babble on about politics and even stay up passed the death, on dare I say it, a school night. I’m not normally one to follow politics so closely but I found this blog coupled with the excellent radio and TV coverage addictive. Well done to all at the Journal.ie!
Thanks Oisín! It’s been crazy alright, going back to normal news will be strange!
Well done Ming!! No more butter vouchers ….. cannabis plants all the way from Europe now ….Medical cards who needs medical cards …. When cannabis cures all ails ….less work for customs and gardai …what fools we are ….
Oh noooooo! Doggy dentures and McGuiness to be elected?!!!!!
Ryan looks like he just remembered he left the immersion on.
It’s an outrage that Edvard Hund didn’t get elected. I’m gutted for him.
I was saying Boo-urns
Excellent graphics from Clare Byrne. Best yet explanation of how the Proportional Representation Voting System works. Send a final disk to each school in the country, the kids will see immediately how it works without a long-winded complicated verbal explanation.
what a brilliant photo by mark stedman
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