PADDY HARTE, BORN 1931, RAPHOE

Paddy Harte discusses his family background and provides great detail about his maternal family, the Dillons, who were butchers and the Hartes who were involved in the publican trade. Paddy ran his own butchering business in Raphoe and had an entrepreneurial spirit but on his father’s death in 1956, his direction underwent an adjustment and he was elected to Donegal County Council, where his father had previously served. He recalls his introduction to political life and his subsequent election to the Dáil as a Fine Gael T.D. for Donegal. He discusses national politics during his tenure and provides his views on recent events in the North of Ireland. He discusses the origins of Fine Gael and his strong allegiance to the party.