World of Politics with Harry McGee

The oldest person to become Taoiseach was Seán Lemass, who was just shy of 60 when he succeeded Eamon de Valera in 1959. In fact, 59 seems to be the median age for assuming the head-of-government position in Ireland. Albert Reynolds, Enda Kenny and Micheál Martin were all that age when they went into office.

Éamonn de Valera was 50 when he became Taoiseach in 1932. He became our oldest serving Taoiseach over the course of a very long career. He was almost 78 when he finally stood down in 1959.

Of course, he went on to serve 14 years as President, despite being almost blind, finally stepping down just short of 92, three years before his death in 1975.

So Michael D Higgins, at 83, is only a spring chicken by comparison. Indeed, the presidency back then was an honorific with the Áras resident performing ceremonial roles. It was only really when Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh became President in the mid-seventies that the role was developed.

On the flip side of the coin, we have had our fair share of young Taoisigh over the years. Bertie Ahern was 46 in 1997. In fact he came to office just after Tony Blair in Britain, who was the same age as Ahern. The careers of both would be inextricably linked after that because of the Good Friday Agreement.

A little like what is happening now, after years of Conservative rule – where the Irish question ranked low in terms of progress – new leaders arrived who were young, energetic and ready to face the challenges.

Leo Varadkar was 38 when he succeeded Enda Kenny in 2017 and retired from the top office (and from politics) at the age of 45. He had said he would not continue in politics beyond the age of 50. He has been good on his word.

Simon Harris, at 37, is the youngest ever Taoiseach and the youngest leader since independence since Michael Collins, who was 31 when he was president of the provisional government in 1922.

If fates conspire against him, Harris could have a more dubious distinction: that of the shortest-serving Taoiseach. If Fine Gael fails to get elected to government his tenure will be all of ten months.

That is partly why he is approaching the job with a demonic energy. He is everywhere, at the All Ireland one moment, at a doorstep interview the next, meeting the Ukrainian president in Shannon Airport

Pictured: Kamala Harris… certainty for the nomination.