Madam, - The impending departure of Bertie Ahern from his position as head of government will terminate a link that has existed among all our heads of government since the foundation of the State.
That link is in the person of Liam Cosgrave, Taoiseach from 1973 to 1977. Liam Cosgrave entered the Dáil in 1943. His father, W.T. Cosgrave, our first head of government, retired from the Dáil in 1944.
Bertie Ahern (and Albert Reynolds) entered the Dáil in 1977. Cosgrave retired from the Dáil in 1981.
Therefore, Cosgrave was a concurrent member of the National Parliament with every head of government from Cosgrave Snr to Ahern, from 1922 to 2008, a period of 86 years.
It certainly must be remarkable in a democracy that a prime minister sat in parliament at the same time as five predecessors and five successors to be. - Yours, etc,
DERMOT C. MELIA,
Foxfield Road,
Raheny,
Dublin 5.