They say you should never meet your heroes. Having grown up in 1970's Ireland, when portraits of Pope Paul VI and JFK took pride of place in almost every Irish home, I finally took the plunge by way of Seymour Hersh's well-researched tome to shatter any lingering illusions. When this book was first published in 1997, it was manna from heaven for those who rejoiced at our loss of innocence. But, long before the forces of cynicism and resentment took hold of our national psyche, we knew that the powers-that-be lived by different rules. Just like our favourite Hollywood stars, it was what they represented that really mattered — not their breathtaking hypocrisy. And let's be clear that the "untold stories of the rich and famous" were well-dissected by the dogs on the street long before they became a staple of the mainstream media. Great leaders have always courted controversy, especially in challenging times, because to do otherwise is a dereliction of duty. Great