There is a Shakespearean element to the life of Brian Cowen which is subtly explored in Gary Murphy’s masterful new biography. So many things that Cowen holds dear – Fianna Fáil, public service, Ireland itself – were imperilled during his brief time as Taoiseach. Some, like Fianna Fáil, were never the same again, while the public’s view of politicians altered fundamentally. Ireland survived, and Cowen would argue that the decisions he made as Taoiseach allowed the country to recover, but it was a turbulent period, the most tumultuous since the foundation of the State. It is impossible for Cowen’s legacy…

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