Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the Rural Independent Group, I am very glad to remember the great Donal Creed, who passed away on 23 November 2017. It is fair to mention two Ps when talking about Donal, namely, potatoes and politics. I do not know which he would have put in the higher category but everybody who knew of him knew of his love for farming and for vegetables and the great pride he had in potatoes. He was competitive with other family members and other neighbours on both sides of the border when it came to producing what he classified as the best potatoes that any farmer could grow. It is important to remember that. It is always nice to see people who are grounded and down to earth in politics. Donal certainly was, because he had great interest in what came out of the earth.

On a light-hearted note, every person who wins the lotto can always say, when banking the money, that if it was not for Donal Creed he or she might not have won the money at all. On a day when someone has received €175 million in the EuroMillions lottery, it should be remembered that there was a man here in Ireland who set up our own lottery. Charitable organisations have gained much from that. He was politically very astute and ahead of his time. It is nice to remember that.

On a local note, I would like to remember a very sad event for the people of Ireland, particularly those in Cork and Kerry.

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The Whiddy Island disaster occurred when he was chairman of Cork County Council. It took a safe pair of political of hands to handle that sensitive situation and that awful tragedy and its aftermath. He was remarkably intelligent and astute in the way he carried out the role of chairman of the council. There were major demands on him at that time and he had to deal with that awful tragedy. He did so in the very experienced political way that only he could do. It is nice to remember things like that.

On behalf of the Rural Independent Group, I acknowledge his political legacy. He was a person who started out with nothing and progressed to being a good county councillor, Deputy, MEP and Minister of State. He was able to leave political office after giving such broad service. I would place as much significance on being a good county councillor as being a good Minister of State. His son has finished up as a senior Minister sitting at the Cabinet table. From where he is resting today, he can rest sure in the knowledge that he and his wife Madeleine and their family made an extraordinary contribution to Irish life and Irish politics. That contribution will never be forgotten and no one can ever take that from any of them. I think that is a nice thing. There are 25 grandchildren, and perhaps there will be many more in the years ahead. They will always remember their granddad and everything he did in a nice and fond way. That is nice to acknowledge, and everyone in the House will acknowledge it.

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