Under the Rainbow

The 'Rainbow Government', that was how the media described the Fine Gael, Labour and Democratic Left coalition government that John Bruton led from late 1994 to June 1997, arguably the most left wing government in the history of the state. In Under the Rainbow, Shane Kenny uses his unique perspective as government press secretary to deliver the ultimate insider account of this crucial juncture in Irish politics; a period which contained critical breakthroughs in the Northern Ireland peace process, the most high profile murder in the history of the state (Veronica Guerin), the establishment of the 'payments to politicians' tribunal, which finally exposed the sources of Charles Haughey's wealth, and a divorce referendum which heralded the dawn of a changing Ireland. With anecdotes and quotations from the author's own notes and tapes from the time, Under the Rainbow is a singular chronicle of political and economic achievement, aligned with professional and personal tragedy a captivating mix of the atmosphere and facts of government life.