New edition of popular book by Mayo-born author published

Launched appropriately at the Central Bank of Ireland, of which he served as Governor from 1969 to 1976, a new edition of the biography T.K. Whitaker: Irishman of the 20th Century (Red Stripe Press), written by Castlebar-born author Anne Chambers, has just been published.

Throughout his long life of public service, Dr. T.K. Whitaker’s contribution to the economic, financial, social, educational, political and cultural evolution of the Irish state was unprecedented.

In this new edition of his biography, Anne Chambers reveals the extraordinary diversity of Whitaker’s undertakings on behalf of the state and its people; his relationship with national and international political leaders and organisations; his background, motivations, humour and compassion; the personal losses endured, the many highlights enjoyed, his legacy and his relevance today.

This informative portrait presents the man behind the public servant. His personal archive together with interviews conducted with him by the author encapsulates the late Dr. Whitaker’s personality, voice and opinions, and gives this biography a special significance.

In this age of entitlement, self-promotion and narcissist absorption, the ethos of Whitaker’s work and dedication to the common good is all the more relevant, as well as a vindication of why the ordinary citizens of Ireland in 2001 choose him as their ‘Irishman of the 20th Century.’

As Minister Paschal Donohoe notes in his foreword to the book: “Ken Whitaker recognised profound global change and positioned Ireland to contribute and benefit from that change. Now, at a time of such volatility and change, it is timely to be reminded that our national tone and mindset determines what we can achieve. This is a superb biography…does justice to a towering figure in the journey to modern Ireland.”