Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am very pleased to have this opportunity to talk about Peter Mathews. I only found out about a half hour ago that these statements were happening today and I am glad I am in a position to say something. I met Peter Mathews back in 2011 when I joined Fine Gael. He was at my first constituency meeting. I should say I saw him first at the count, which, if I remember correctly, was in the basketball arena in Tallaght. I have a visual memory of him standing and surveying all the count from the top of the hall. It is a memory I will always have. It was my second time meeting him. I could not believe that he pronounced my name correctly. He said "Hello, Josepha". I asked him, "How did you get my name right?". That was Peter. He had wonderful attention to detail and he was wonderfully personable. When we used to go to our constituency meetings, apart from talking about economic matters, which he did so well, he would also give us book lists because he was a bibliophile. I always took down the books that he recommended because he was so well read and so well briefed on current affairs and everything that was going on around him.

He was also very kind to me when both my sister and my father died from cancer. He sent me beautiful mass cards that he got in Jerusalem and he texted me and rang me. I went to Peter's funeral and met Susan and his family and it was such a fitting funeral for a man of such deep faith. I really respect that and his integrity. The Oxford English Dictionarydefines a man of honour as a man who adheres to a high standard of conduct, and Peter did that. He was a hard worker. I loved his sartorial style, his elegance and his fizzling, engaging personality. I know his death is an absolutely devastating loss to Susan, Maria, James, John and David. I can only imagine what they are going through. They have my utmost sympathy. He was well loved, not just by the whole of Dublin Rathdown but also in Mount Merrion where I live and where Peter lived. He will never be forgotten, certainly by me. Other speakers talked about his kindness, which was absolutely the case. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

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