THEY say that in life there are but two certainties: death and taxes.

Having made a determined effort to avoid both, Charles J Haughey slipped out of this world on 12 June. The former taoiseach displayed his knack for political timing to the end, checking into the ultimate offshore account just six months before the publication of the Moriarty report into his financial wrong-doings.

Haughey, who died aged 80, was one of several political figures to pass away over the past 12 months.

Former Fianna Fail TDs Ruairi Brugha (88), Michael Barrett (79) and Niall Andrews (68) all died in 2006, as did former Labour Party leader Michael O'Leary, who died aged 70 in May. Michael O'Riordan, who fought in the Spanish Civil War before later becoming leader of the Communist Party of Ireland, died in May aged 88.

Other notable Irish personalities to slip away over the year included publisher Hugh McLaughlin (87), who launched the Sunday Tribune in 1980; theatre designer Rupert Murray (55); political campaigner John De Courcy Ireland (94); and Monsignor Denis Faul (73). Two of Ireland's best-known architects also died this year . . . Arthur Gibney (73) in May and Sam Stephenson (72) in November . . . while former judges Mella Carroll and Humphrey Kelleher both died at the age of 71. Former High Court judge and mayor of Cork Sean O'Leary died on 22 December at 65 Former Northern Ireland secretary Merlyn Rees (85) died in January, while Richard McIlkenny, one-sixth of the Birmingham Six, passed away in May at the age of 73.

Internationally, there were several notable political deaths. While the world mourned the loss of Coretta Scott King (78), widow of Martin Luther King, in January, two of the modern era's most despicable dictators also departed this world in 2006 . . . Slobodan Milosevic at the age of 64 in March, and Agusto Pinochet nine months later at the age of 91.

Former Paraguayan dictator Alfredo Stroessner (93) and former South African apartheid president PW Botha (90) also had their names rubbed off the international political hall of shame. And former Iraqi leader Saddam Husseinwas executed yesterday, 30 December.

The American political world lost former president Gerald Ford, who died last week at the age of 93, as well as former defence secretary Casper Weinberger, who died aged 88 in March. Lloyd Bentsen, who was the running mate of Michael Dukakis in 1988 US presidential race, also died at the age of 85.

British politics mourned the loss of former sports minister To n y Banks, who died in January aged 62, and John Profumo, of Profumo Affair fame, who died two months later at the age of 91. Milton Friedman, the economist who influenced the policies of Margaret Thatcher, died in October at the age of 94.

The arts also lost some of its shining lights in 2006, most recently the Godfather of Soul James Brown, who died on Christmas Day aged 73.

Wilson Pickett (64), Gene Pitney (65), Syd Barrett (60) and Desmond Dekker (64) were also among the list of musical dead.

Jack Palancewas the star attraction at Hollywood's biggest funeral of 2006, when he died in October at the age of 82, while Irish drama lost Fair City actor Brendan Cauldwell (83) in January and former Riordans actor Breandan O Duill (70) four months later.

Other notable deaths of screen stars included Chris Penn, who died suddenly at the age of 40 in January, Glenn Ford (90) and former EastEnders actor Ross Davidson (57). Famed Australian animal lover Steve Irwin (44) met his match in September, when he died after being attacked by a stingray.

Three young Irish sportspeople died tragically during the year. Caroline Kearney (24) was our leading triathlete when she was knocked down while out cycling in France.

Amateur jockey Dary Cullen (20) died after a fall in a point-to-point, while Sherelle Duke (28) a top threeday eventer, also died after falling from her horse. Former Irish soccer and rugby international Kevin O'Flanagan (85) died in May, while domestic soccer lost one of its bestloved characters when life-long supporter Ned Armstrong (83) passed away on Christmas Day. Former journalist and FAI press officer Brendan McKenna (68) died in July.

Other long-lived sportsmen to pass away were rugby and cricket international Ham Lambert (95) and cricketer Noel Mahony (93). Fred Trueman (75) and Clyde Walcott (80) were international cricketers who batted their last, while rugby stars to die included Ireland No 8 Ken Goodall (59) and England lock Maurice Colclough (52).

English soccer mourned the loss of former manager Ron Greenwood (84) in February and Peter Osgood (59) in March, while both John Lyall (66) and Brian Labone (66) died in April. One of Scotland's all-time greats Jimmy Johnstone died in March aged 61.

Internationally, former Italian soccer captain Giacinto Facchetti (64) passed away in September, while one of the true legends of the game, Hungarian Ferenc Puskas, lost his battle with a lengthy illness in October at the age of 79.

Other sports stars to bow out over the last 12 months include former heavyweight boxing champions Floyd Patterson (71) and Trevo r Berbick (51), while the snooker world was stunned by the tragic death of rising star Paul Hunter at the age of just 27 in October.

Sophie's Choice author William Styron (81) died in November, six months after award-winning Irish author Clare Boylan (58). Peter Benchley (65), famed author of Jaws, passed away aged 65 in February, while anti-smoking guru Allen Carr (72) lost his battle with lung cancer in November.