Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Ba mhaith liom mo chomhbhrón a dhéanamh le muintir Ó Clochasaigh ar son bás Peadar Ó Clochasaigh. Like some of the previous speakers, I did not have the pleasure of serving in the Dáil or on the local authority with Peadar, but I did have occasion to meet him at several Limerick County Council functions while I was a member. Once the decision was made to reconfigure the old Limerick East and Limerick West constituencies into Limerick City and Limerick, the rural part of Limerick East came into what is now the Limerick county constituency.

I am sure my colleagues will agree that, whether it was in Fedamore, Bruff, Meanus, Cappamore or wherever, people had a great affinity for Peadar Clohessy's work, particularly in rural parts of the county. When canvassing on doorsteps in the rural part of east Limerick and mention was made of previous Deputies, it was always in a positive light that Peadar Clohessy was mentioned.

I once met him with a predecessor of mine in the Dáil, former Deputy Michael Finucane.

We spoke about the reconfigured Limerick East and Limerick West, which are now the county and the city constituencies. Peadar gave a summation of what he thought was likely to come out of the ballot boxes in 2011, and he was not far wrong. That proved his connection with and understanding of the electorate. Anybody who could take a seat in Limerick East on the eight and twelfth counts, as he did in the early 1990s, showed how he was tuned into the single transferable vote. He would never walk away from a house without the promise of a No, 4, 5, 6 or 7 because being elected on the twelfth count proves that every vote one gets on the ballot paper is worth getting, and he epitomised that. I would like to sympathise with Peadar's sons, daughters and extended family. The greatest tribute that can be paid to people who gave their lives to public service is paid by their own people. I know that the people around Fethermore and rural east Limerick turned out in huge numbers to say goodbye to Peadar. One of the comments made by the Limerick Leaderat the time was that Peadar Clohessy showed an unselfish public service, and any of us who can leave this House with that as our legacy will not be doing half bad. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h-anam usual dílis.

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