From "Modern Irish Lives" - "Donough O'Malley (1921-68), politician, born Co Limerick...Fianna Fail TD for Limerick, 1961, Minister for Finance 1961-65, Minister for Health 1965, for Education 1966-68, ...introduced free secondary schooling, which was arguably the most important development of the century in Irish education...his cavalier and zestful attitude to life endeared him to many of his contemporaries, although it alienated senior members of FF and the civil service, who disliked O'Malley's disregard for conventional approaches to the formulation and announcement of public policy." The book does not cover the personal lives of individuals so there is no reference to his wife or the reason he died so relatively young. Re Kavanagh's love of the Royal Canal, Brian Behan tells an hilarious story about this, tho probably greatly exaggerated. Anyone interested?