Bertie Ahern and the Drumcondra Mafia

In March 2008, Bertie Ahern announced his resignation as Taoiseach, prompted by ongoing evidence in a planning inquiry that uncovered he had received large sums of money when minister for finance. Yet, even in defeat, he remained the most popular politician of his generation, one for whom the defining ''Teflon Taoiseach'' tag had not entirely slid away.

However, what made Bertie Ahern unique was n...