Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)
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On behalf of the Fianna Fáil Party, I extend my deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Ruairí Brugha on the sad occasion of his death in January. His life, which extended almost 90 years from his birth in Dublin in October 1917, saw the unfolding of the history of the Republic. The only son of Cathal Brugha and the son-in-law of Terence MacSwiney, he was born amidst the turmoil of great events and lived his life with the hand of history on his shoulder. He was educated in Rockwell College in County Tipperary, Coláiste Mhuire in Dublin and University College Dublin. His father was Minister for Defence in the first Dáil and his father-in-law was the heroic Lord Mayor of Cork.

Ruairí's political career began when he stood unsuccessfully for Clann na Poblachta in 1948 in his parent's old constituency of Waterford. In the 1960's, he joined Fianna Fáil and stood for the party in the general election of 1969. He was unsuccessful but was elected to the Seanad in the same year. He was elected to the Dáil in 1973 for Dublin South County and was appointed Opposition Front Bench spokesman on posts and telegraphs until Jack Lynch appointed him as spokesman on Northern Ireland from 1975 to 1977. He lost his seat in the revised Dublin South constituency in the 1977 general election but was elected to the Seanad, where he served until 1981. He was appointed to the European Parliament in 1977 until the direct elections at the end of that decade.

Ruairí Brugha was dedicated to peace and reconciliation on this island. In 1966, the Irish community in London asked him and his wife, Máire MacSwiney Brugha, to attend a commemoration and to give an oration in Trafalgar Square. As Máire recalled in her memoir, Ruairí spoke of non-violent means as the way to solve the question of Irish unity. This policy of reconciliation was ahead of its time but it is an aim that he pursued throughout his life in and out of politics.

In a long life, Ruairí Brugha's career in Leinster House was a relatively short one. However, it would be a mistake to see him only in political terms because his range of interests was extraordinarily broad. His wife and family members would not like me to merely commemorate him in political terms. He was involved for many years with the Mater Hospital, in which I also had an interest after his time there and served on the RTE Authority. He was chairman for 13 years of Dublin Tourism and was before his time in seeing the potential for tourism here. He gave 50 years of service to Trees for Ireland, a forerunner of the Tree Council of Ireland. The Tóstal Festival, the Catholic Communications Institute of Ireland and the Economic and Social Research Institute all benefited from his committed involvement and interest.

Ruairí Brugha was especially fortunate in meeting and marrying Máire MacSwiney. Their shared sense of history was never backward looking. To the contrary, they have been patriotic and committed citizens who never failed to dedicate their talent to the service of their country and I am grateful to their efforts in that regard. It has been a great pleasure for me personally to have been able to enjoy the friendship and company of Ruairí and Máire in recent years. I met the Brughas on many occasions over the past quarter century in places Deputy Rabbitte and I know well, such as an Daingean, Ceann Sibéil and Trá an Fhíona and they were always kind to my daughters as they grew up. I enjoyed talking with Ruairí and Máire and receiving their advice on summer days.

I was delighted when Máire asked me to launch her excellent autobiography, History's Daughter, which is a vivid account of a shared life in which service to others always came first. That was the last occasion on which I met Ruairí and it was as good then as it always was to talk with him. Although this is a sad occasion, it can bring joy to remember his contributions to so many different interests, as well the political contributions for which he is remembered in this House. I extend my condolences to Máire, who is in the House today, his daughter Deirdre, his sons Cathal, Terry and Ruairí and his sister Neasa and thank them for their support to Ruairí throughout his long life. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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On behalf of the Fine Gael Party, I extend my sincere sympathy to the family of Ruairí Brugha and to the Taoiseach and his party and I pay warm tribute to the always passionate and patriotic Ruairí Brugha, who died on 30 January. When news of the death of Ruairí Brugha broke on RTE that day, it registered with people all over the country because the Brugha name has a special place in Irish politics and history. In Cork, his death was greeted with particular sadness because another living connection was lost with the great and much loved Lord Mayor and patriot, Terence MacSwiney.

Ruairí Brugha was a gentle man in the literal sense. With his wife Máire, he worked tirelessly to foster justice, understanding and reconciliation in both North and South. I am sure it was not lost on his family that he passed away on the 34th anniversary of Bloody Sunday and on the same day that another great believer in peace, justice and civil rights, Coretta Scott King, passed away in the United States. A true statesman and eminent politician in his own right, he was elected to this House in 1973 and to the European Parliament in 1977. He became honorary president of the European Movement and was elected to Seanad Éireann, where he served until the late 1980s.

I know I speak for everyone here or, at least, those who knew him when I talk about Ruairí's unfailing courtesy and politeness throughout his political career. He was ever the people's representative and his work on North-South reconciliation was diligent, important and fruitful. Sometimes, Members stand up to pay tribute to all who were here before them, even though speakers may not have personally known the subjects of their comments. My contacts with Ruairí Brugha occurred most often in the Dáil Library, to which he was a frequent visitor. In whispered tones, he would pass on his comments on various issues and personalities of the day or news of current affairs and politics.

His marriage to Terence MacSwiney's daughter, Máire, united two of Ireland's most famous and potent political names. This extraordinary couple has been our link to a painful, complex and even shattering period of Irish history. Michael Collins, Éamon de Valera and King George V appealed to the British Government for the Cork Lord Mayor's life. Families and communities were divided by the Civil War. Hundreds of thousands lined the routes of funerals of Irish leaders who died before their time. In 1929, the British Home Office told a doctor looking for Terence MacSwiney's medical records that "the time has not yet come when the case of MacSwiney, which aroused such intense feeling only eight years ago, can be regarded as a mere matter of history". For the Irish people, especially the Brughas and the MacSwineys, that era and those events will never just be a mere matter of history. They are part of our story and who we are.

To his wife Máire, a woman gentle and dignified, I offer my sincere sympathy and the sympathy of the Fine Gael Party. I suspect she knows better than most that the dead we love are not very far away, but are our nearest neighbours. I offer sympathy to the Taoiseach and his party on the loss and passing of Ruairí Brugha. Go ndéana Dia trócaire ar a anam dílis.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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On my behalf and that of the Labour Party, I wish to be associated with the remarks of the Taoiseach and Deputy Kenny regarding the late Ruairí Brugha. Like my colleagues in the House, I knew him well. He was a lovely man and, as Deputy Kenny has noted, a gentleman. He was the bearer of a famous name and born in the turmoil of great events, as the Taoiseach noted. He was a patriot and politician and a generous donor of his time to various civic organisations. As the Taoiseach remarked, I met him on the Chorca Dhuibhne peninsula on more than one occasion. As Deputy Kenny stated, it was his habit to ramble into the Oireachtas Library until very recently. I often had the opportunity to chat to him in that context.

His was the passing of a famous name, and he left his imprint on politics. As he stated himself, it was perhaps inevitable that he would be associated with militant republicanism in his early days given his own background and upbringing. He initially joined Clann na Poblachta and only subsequent to this Fianna Fáil. He exercised a moderating influence on Northern Ireland policy at a time when it was necessary. He was appointed to that brief by Jack Lynch in 1973.

On behalf of my colleagues in the Labour Party, I agree wholly with the Taoiseach's eloquent contribution about the late Ruairí Brugha. I offer my sincere sympathies to his wife Máire and family. May he rest in peace.

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I join the Taoiseach, the leader of Fine Gael and the leader of the Labour Party in expressing my sympathy and that of the Progressive Democrats to the family of the late Ruairí Brugha. I had the pleasure of serving in the Seanad for four years, between 1977 and 1981, with Ruairí Brugha and that was when I got to know him.

As others have said, he was a real gentleman. He had an enormous intellect and was a gentle and modest person. Although he came from a famous family involved in the struggle for independence in this country, he devoted his entire life to peace and reconciliation. As Deputy Rabbitte noted, he had a moderate approach to Northern Ireland issues. He was very encouraging to young people then at a time when I was younger. It was good to see in recent years that he still maintained a significant interest in public affairs despite his age, spending a considerable amount of time both in the Oireachtas Library and elsewhere. He remained extraordinarily active.

He was not just involved in politics but in general public affairs. He was married to Máire MacSwiney and they clearly had much in common. Her published autobiography discussed their shared life together, as was noted by the Taoiseach. He clearly felt proud of that. I regret that I was not able to attend his funeral mass, as he gave me huge encouragement.

I express my sympathy to his wife, Máire, his sons, Cathal, Terry and Ruairí, his sister, Neasa, and his daughter, Deirdre. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Thar mo cheann ba mhaith liom mo chomhbhrón a chur inniu do mhuintir Ruairí Brugha, dá bhean chéile, Máire, dá ceithre clainne, Deirdre, Cathal, Terry agus Ruairí, agus dá dheirfiúr, Neasa. I knew Ruairí Brugha, as Deputies have mentioned, as one who frequented the Oireachtas, but it was only in later years that I would have been in a position to say I knew him well enough to speak to. From his name and character one would have to have liked and respected him. The long and historic lineage of the family is just one of the indicators that reminds us of the sacrifice that was made for us to enjoy the freedoms we have in this country.

I remember Ruairí Brugha first and foremost as a real gentleman, but a modest man despite his father's portrait hanging in pride of place. One might expect other people to demand particular respect, but Ruairí Brugha was one of those people who was gentle, modest and, above all, friendly in spite of an entitlement to the type of respect which comes with the name Brugha. That is a measure of true greatness in somebody who may otherwise have allowed the historic lineage of his family to go to his head.

This never came across in my meetings with him and he was always happy to stop and chat with anybody. I will always remember him in that way. This reminds me of the measurement of a true republic, where nobody is above anybody else and everybody is entitled to the same courtesy and respect, despite the greatness of a name such as Brugha in this House. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Thar cheann Teachtaí Sinn Féin, ba mhaith liom ár gcomhbhrón a ghabhaíl do chlann Brugha ar bás Ruairí Brugha. Go ndéana Dia trócaire ar a anam dílis. On behalf of Sinn Féin Deputies, I join in the expressions of sympathy to the Brugha family. I convey our sympathy to all the bereaved on the death of Ruairí Brugha.

As many have already noted, Ruairí Brugha was the son of the deservedly honoured and highly respected Cathal Brugha. He knew the reality of the more difficult choices which the republican struggle has thrown up in the past. He spent the greater part of his life in the act of political service to his nation, and he distinguished himself in the course of that service. I met him only in a casual way and cannot say that I knew him. I am very much aware that that was my loss. I extend our sincere sympathy on their great loss to his wife, Máire, to his sons and daughter, to his sister and all the bereaved. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I had the privilege of standing with Ruairí Brugha for Dáil Éireann in South Dublin, and I served with him in Seanad Éireann for many years. It was there I learned of his integrity, his love of Ireland and Fianna Fáil, and his embracing of republicanism as a peaceful and respectful doctrine. That shone through in everything he did. His commitment to Irish unity did not change in all his years, and his commitment to the Irish language was steadfast. He was ahead of his time in many ways in his commitment to reconciliation. In serving as Jack Lynch's spokesman on Northern Ireland in the 1973 to 1977 period, he was committed to the reconciliation.

Máire MacSwiney, later to become Máire Brugha, who is with us today, has made her own fine contribution as the daughter of Terence MacSwiney. The Taoiseach referred to her wonderful book, History's Daughter, which is a fantastic addition to Irish history.

I join with other speakers who expressed sympathy to Máire, his son Cathal, with whom I enjoyed many a political endeavour, to Deirdre, Terry, Ruairí, his sister Neasa and all the extended Brugha family.

Before he entered politics Ruairí was in business, where he seems to have learned about public relations as managing director of the Kingston Clothing Company. He also had a sense of humour and I remember, though I do not know if many others in the House are old enough to, a wonderful advertisement which went: "A Kingston shirt makes all the difference". Ruairí must have coined that line himself because it certainly made the point.

I recall canvassing with him in south Dublin. Ruairí loved a debate, as Máire will recall. We were knocking on doors but not making much progress, only getting through one every half hour. When we arrived at one door the person opened it to say they were voting for us and that we did not need to be detained. That was not satisfactory for Ruairí, who decided he wanted a debate so inquired as to why they were supporting us. The debate lasted for a half hour and I am not sure at the end of it whether they voted for us or not.

One of the things I loved about him was the fact that he cared about the issues, loved his country, loved south Dublin and, most of all, loved his family. Dáil Éireann is proud of him and salutes him today. Tá sé de phribhléid agam cúpla focal a rá in ómós do Ruairí Brugha. Is cailliúint mhór é go bhfuil sé imithe anois, agus ba mhaith liom mo chomhbhrón a chur in iúl do Mháire agus dá chlann.

Tom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I pay tribute to Ruairí Brugha who represented my and Deputy Brennan's Dublin South constituency with great distinction. It has been said that his political pedigree was unique, coming as he did from a strong republican family and being married to Máire MacSwiney, the only child of Terence MacSwiney, who I am pleased is with us with her family today. He left Clann na Poblachta for Fianna Fáil and stood for election in 1969 in Dublin South County. It is said Kevin Boland took a considerable risk to his own position by inviting him onto the ticket. A lovely extract from Máire MacSwiney's book gives an insight into the gentleman Ruairí was as he ran that election campaign: "Ruairí was very conscious of Kevin Boland's unselfish gesture and when he was canvassing, and met Fianna Fáil voters, he always told them that, if they been voting for Kevin Boland, they must continue to do so as he did not want to endanger Kevin's seat in any way". Needless to say, elections in Dublin South were to become a little more competitive as the years passed. Ruairí was not elected on that occasion but went on to win the seat for Fianna Fáil in 1973, defeating his former running mate Kevin Boland, and later ran for Aontacht Éireann.

I was privileged to run alongside him as part of the Fianna Fáil team at the beginning of my political career in 1982 and, though both of us lost, I always found him to be a most honourable, courteous and distinguished figure. I remember him for his love and promotion of the Irish language. He was a true republican. As others have said, in his earlier life he spent several years on the run in Dublin and was interned in the Curragh but, as Fianna Fáil's Opposition spokesman on Northern Ireland from 1975-77, he went on to have a considerable influence and input into shaping a policy of conciliation with Unionists. He continued to work politically for Nationalist-Unionist reconciliation well after his period as a TD, MEP and Member of Seanad Éireann. It was always a pleasure to meet him in his later years, whether as a member of the local Terence MacSwiney cumann, which he attended regularly with his wife Máire, or as many others have mentioned, on his many visits to the Dáil, particularly the Library. He was always happy to advise and share some quiet words of wisdom and I always felt in the company of a very special person. I was delighted he was present for the launch of Máire's book History's Daughter in Dublin Castle toward the end of last year and I agree wholeheartedly with his son Cathal who said at his funeral in Mount Merrion that we were celebrating a long and wonderful life. That is what we as parliamentarians are doing today for one of our former colleagues.

To his wife Máire, to whom he was married for over 60 years, his daughter Deirdre, his sons Cathal, Terry and Ruairí and his sister Neasa I express deepest sympathy on my behalf and that of the Fianna Fáil organisation in Dublin South. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam uasal dílis.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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I was unfortunate not to know Ruairí Brugha but, as a current Deputy for Dublin South, I feel the best way to honour him is to demonstrate the qualities he obviously possessed in his time as a Deputy for that constituency. It is very easy for anger and bellows to take over from analysis during proceedings in the House. From what I hear about Ruairí Brugha he stood for gentleness and the force of ideas, rather than the force of the voice. It is useful for us to remember that as we reflect on his passing.

Reading about his life's work, his willingness to change and openness to new ideas are a legacy that will also stand to us as we pose questions and debate issues, as my colleagues across the floor have said. That is a proud tradition in Dublin South and one we should continue in honour of his good name. I welcome the opportunity, along with my party leader, to pass on our regards to his family and to the honourable tradition of republicanism that he represented.