JOHN Hume is both the leading Irish personality and the leading politician of the century according to a new MRBI poll out today. That he heads two categories in the poll for the Irish weekly Foinse is hardly remarkable, but some other findings are.
Charlie Haughey is the least liked politician, but in the most liked category he comes in at five per cent, one per cent ahead of his great rival Garret FitzGerald. Bertie Ahern is the second most popular politician, getting 15 per cent compared with Hume's 25 per cent, and is ahead of Eamon de Valera, Jack Lynch and Sean Lemass.
Bertie rates higher with women than men and does best in the 1824 age group. The most admired woman is Mary Robinson (54 per cent), followed by Veronica Guerin, Countess Markievicz, Michelle de Bruin and then Mary Harney and Peig Sayers, together.
Foinse is published in Carraroe, Co Galway. The remainder of the poll, which editor Breandan Delap says marks Seachtain na Gaeilge, can be found in the free copy that comes with The Irish Times on Monday.