Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Ar an gcéad dul síos ba mhaith liom fáilte a chur roimh mhuintir Creed. Tá an-chuid ráite mar gheall ar an iar-Theachta Donal Creed agus cuirim go mór leis sin mar aithnimid go léir gur dianoibrí a bhí ann a bhí ag obair go dian dícheallach ar son mhuintir a dúiche ar fad gach lá. Bhí ardmheas air i gcónaí sa cheantar agus lasmuigh agus bhí sé sin i gcónaí le feiceáil nuair a bhuail mé le daoine, bhí sé le feiceáil sna clinicí de réir dealramh agus bhí sé le feiceáil sa vóta go bhfuair sé. Bhí sé i gcónaí ag obair go dian dícheallach sa chomhairle, sa Dáil, san Eoraip agus gan dabht mar Aire Stáit. Chuir sé go mór le muintir na háite agus leis an gceantar.

I acknowledge the significant role played by Donal Creed over many years in Cork Mid and Cork North-West. I pay tribute also to the significant role he played on Cork County Council over many years. Our families would have clashed at election time but would have worked throughout the same community over many years. While we would have appeared to have been political opponents, there would have always been the same push to make things happen locally. Donal really pushed the community forwards, and I always heard that when meeting his supporters or opponents. It would always be said that he was such a gentleman and a person to push things on for the wider Cork Mid and Cork North-West areas. It is something to be very proud of and something that will always be associated with him. This would have been in evidence in the clinics as well, where there would have been such a range of colours presenting. He would never have distinguished one way or the other. He saw it as his duty to serve whoever came his way and to make every effort.

I would have only occasionally met Donal. Typically, it would have occurred on the campaigns. The first time I came across him was during one of my earlier council campaigns. Mickey Tom and myself were finishing up canvassing on a sunny evening. We had done what we set out to do in terms of canvassing. As we were going down a driveway Donal was ahead of us. There would have been a relaxed atmosphere given the sun and so we stopped for a quick chat. The quick chat extended into something longer. Mickey Tom and I knew that we were holding him up and he knew he was holding us up from canvassing. I am pretty sure he was getting better value from it because he was holding up the candidate and stopping the canvass for the evening.

He was a real gentleman responsible for major achievements. Today people woke up to hear about a big lotto win and it is fitting that the person who was so instrumental in making the lotto a reality would be acknowledged today.

Ba mhaith liom cur le gach rud atá ráite cheana féin mar gheall ar an iar-Theachta Donal Creed agus ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

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