Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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We now move on to expressions of sympathy for a late colleague of ours, Ted Nealon, former journalist, Deputy and Minister of State. I take this opportunity to welcome to the Distinguished Visitors Gallery his family and associates. They are very welcome for this very important occasion. I call on the Taoiseach.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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It was with great sadness I learned earlier this year of the death of former Deputy and Minister of State, the late Ted Nealon. Today, on behalf of the Government and the Fine Gael Party, I convey my deepest sympathies to his wife, Jo, who is not with us in the House today, his son Fergal, his daughter Louise and extended family. Louise is watching this broadcast in Sydney, Australia.

Ted Nealon is sadly missed by all those who knew him in his personal and political life. Many of the younger and newer Members might not have known Ted Nealon as a person or a politician. Some who may not have been in politics at the time will have seen some of the programmes he conducted when he was a television broadcaster and political commentator.

It was a privilege and quite something to work with him and to be a beneficiary of what was a unique political brain of enormous capacity. It is something about which we know very clearly in Leinster House and the Dáil, as do those who were privileged to work with him in what, by any standards, was an exceptional career in politics and journalism. In the political aspect of his career he served proudly under two former taoisigh, Liam Cosgrave and the late Dr. Garret FitzGerald, and he did so with distinction as Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and later as Minister of State at the Department of An Taoiseach with responsibility for arts and culture. He was later appointed Minister of State at the Department of Posts and Telegraphs.

In every role he gave of his best, not alone as an exemplary public servant but as an exemplary compassionate and dignified human being. In every interaction he recognised the other person's humanity and dignity, which explains why when Ted's passing was announced it was met with such personal sadness and fond affection in the former constituency of Sligo-Leitrim. He touched people's lives with his sincerity and the common sense and insight for which he was well noted and for which he is now so deeply and personally missed.

Ted Nealon loved his county and everything about it. He loved the stories and the engagement of the characters of the day. He followed on from the late Eugene Gilhawley and the late Joe MacLachlan, two different personalities who represented the Sligo-Leitrim constituency. He loved Ben Bulben, Lissadell and Streedagh Strand where the lost armada lies. He was intrigued by the science of politics and the enthusiasm created by so many people. He was always excited about the political challenge and the stories that had to be contented with. He wrote many of them down in the book he published on tales from Leinster House.

He made a remarkable contribution to politics in Ireland, both as a practitioner and an analyst. I recall when he first came here to join the Fine Gael Party, working for the late Dr. Garret FitzGerald. He was the first person I saw in the House to use what was then described as the golf typewriter, on which all of the letters were on a central console. Ted, being a journalist, used to churn out letters, epistles and leaflets and eventually produced a paper for the party, which was very well received in Dublin and throughout the country. Those who were members of a much smaller party always wanted to be featured in it at some point.

I believe his fascination with politics was something that was infectious because he was very enthusiastic about it, not only because of policy statements or political interviews but because he crystallised all of this fascination into a specific resource that every aspiring politician, every student of politics and every political columnist and broadcaster has now as the foundation stone of their competence or their aspiration. It is known as Nealon's Guide, which he launched more than 40 years ago.

How many people around the country have thumbed through those pages looking at the photographs of the different constituencies and the different parties, the first count, the second count, the elimination process and eventually the line-up of those elected? It is an extraordinary series of books, encompassing an entire social and political history throughout the country.

Sadly along with Ted Nealon, this month the nation mourns the loss of another great broadcasting icon, the presenter, author and academic Brian Farrell. On Irish television in black and white in the early days of the 1960s Ted Nealon and Brian Farrell worked very closely together on the current affairs programme "7 Days". Many men and women now in their late 40s, 50s and 60s remember the silence that was called for in the kitchen or the sitting room that the "7 Days" programme demanded and got. Brian and Ted made necessary - even compulsive - viewing in what were often difficult times for our country.

I recall when Ted Nealon, God rest him, was appointed as a Minister of State. He was invited to speak in the Imperial Hotel in Castlebar, where Michael Davitt held many of his meetings after the Land League was started, to talk on the vista that lay ahead for agriculture. He gave a strong presentation on what was in store for farmers. At the end of the Minister of State's contributions the chairman on the night called for questions. The question had nothing to do with the Minister of State' presentation on the agricultural vista that lay ahead, but asked whether the Minister of State would be in a position to re-infect the rabbits in Ballyglass with myxomatosis as they had eaten all the ditches in the surrounding parish. This is one of the many stories Ted Nealon used to love to recount and be involved in through his enjoyment of politics.

To Jo, Feargal, Louise and the extended family, I offer our heartfelt thanks for his contribution to Ireland and to politics. I express our deepest sympathy. It was an honour to serve with him in the House here and to enjoy his company, and to learn from his journalistic and broadcasting brain about the science of politics and what made it work for him. Go ndéanfaidh Dia trócaire ar a anam dílis.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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On behalf of the Labour Party, I join the Taoiseach in expressing our sympathy to the family of the late Ted Nealon.

Ted, as the Taoiseach indicated, was first elected as Fine Gael Deputy for Sligo-Leitrim in 1981. He was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture in the Fine Gael-Labour Government of 1981-82, and went on to serve as Minister of State with responsibility for Arts and Culture in 1983 - a period that will be very well remembered - and Minister of State at the Department of Posts and Telegraphs.

Ted Nealon carved that rare path from prominent current affairs journalist and broadcaster to Minister of State. His journey on that route was marked by excellence in journalism and service - and love as the Taoiseach has said - as Deputy for his native Sligo-Leitrim constituency.

Ted spoke with an authoritative voice, and was convincing and knowledgeable about public affairs and about the business of politics. His success in journalism saw him presented with a Jacob’s Award, which was bestowed on those who had given an outstanding contribution to Irish television. He received the award for his anchoring of RTE’s coverage of the 1973 general election, a ground-breaking time in Irish politics. He was a pioneer of broadcasting in Ireland, and brought that deep understanding of political and social affairs to politics and service not only of his native county and constituency, but also of the country.

As the Taoiseach has said, he was editor and founder of what was knowns as Nealon’s Guideto the Dáil and Seanad. It was one of the most important works in introducing the innate love most Irish people have of the political systems here and giving us the factsheet to work on. Since its first outing in 1973, the guide has become the repository of each and every statistic from each general election, and an indispensable guide for all practitioners, professional journalists, working politicians and anybody with an interest in public affairs. As the Taoiseach has said, it is a poignant and sad coincidence to lose Ted Nealon and Brian Farrell in the same time period.

As Minister of State in the Department of the Taoiseach with responsibility for arts and culture Ted brought his trademark energy and creativity to the role, as he did in his capacity as Minister of State in what was then the Department of Posts and Telegraphs. His success in politics can be glimpsed through the simple statistic that he was re-elected at every general election from 1981 to 1997, securing and keeping the trust of the people of Sligo and Leitrim.

On behalf of the Labour Party, I thank Ted Nealon for his contribution to journalism, to politics and to his country. I express my condolences to his wife Jo; his son, Fergal; his daughter, Louise, and all his extended family. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Ba mhaith liom comhbhrón a dhéanamh le chlann Ted Nealon, lena bhean Jo, a mhac, Fergal, agus a iníon, Louise, as ucht a bháis. Níl aon amhras ann ach gurb iriseoir agus polaiteoir den scoth ab ea é. Chuir sé seirbhís poiblí chun tosaigh i rith a shaol. Mar Theachta Dála agus mar Aire Stáit, d'oibrigh sé go dian agus go dícheallach ar son muintir na tíre. Táimid go léir buíoch de agus dá chlann dá bharr.

I add my voice to those of the Taoiseach and the Minister, Deputy Howlin, in expressing on behalf of my party and on my own behalf our deepest sympathies to the Nealon family - to Ted's wife, Jo; son, Fergal and daughter Louise on the death of their beloved father.

He was a ground-breaking person in terms of media and politics. In many ways I always had a strong affinity and affection for him. I can trace my real engagement with politics to the "7 Days" programme that has been mentioned. When I was a young second-level student in Coláiste Chríost Rí, we had a teacher whose instruction was, "Boys, will you go home tonight and watch "7 Days"? I'll ask ye questions about it tomorrow morning". Invariably about three or four of us would watch "7 Days". When the rest of the class saw the pattern developing they would say to a couple of us, "Would you get him talking about "7 Days" again because we've no homework done". Ever since, "7 Days", Ted Nealon and the late, great Brian Farrell were synonymous with that bit of mischief going on in a classroom in a second level school.

I trace my own motivation to become engaged with and involved in politics to the captivating broadcasting skill that Ted Nealon, Brian Farrell and others had. We can talk about all the junior certificate CSPE programmes we like, but that raw talent and ability to capture young people's imagination, to be engaged in a subject matter like politics, was a rare gift that we remember today when paying tribute to a person of the calibre of Ted Nealon.

He was highly capable and very intelligent, and was eloquent in his speeches and contributions to public life. As has been said, he moved from the media world where he had a key role in politics to politics, itself. Fundamentally what we acknowledge and remember today is the raison d'êtreof political life - giving of oneself to the public and being of service to the public, and he did that in an exceptional manner.

He was elected to represent Sligo-Leitrim in 1981 and served his constituents exceptionally well until 1997.

Most Members of the House and those who knew him will remember him with fondness because he was a genuinely pleasant, friendly individual and people will always have fond recollections of that humanity and engagement. He excelled in everything to which he turned his hand, whether that was on the football field playing for Sligo, being a national newspaper editor or a television presenter. The people had trust and confidence in him and he was easy with people, which is an important trait in any public representative.

Reflecting on his life, it was a varied one. For people contemplating politics, such a varied life and the different experiences one has in life can contribute to a more effective political life. There are lessons to be drawn from that. He had a fantastic and varied career. He started his days with TheIrish Press, not a newspaper overly associated with the Fine Gael Party, soon after he became editor of the Sunday Reviewand he wrote a column which everybody read because of the behind-the-scene information, gossip, leaks in the days when, allegedly, there were no leaks. He had a great dry wit as well. Long before Twitter and Facebook, people relied on people like Ted Nealon for the real news. He played an enormous role in Irish broadcasting, both in terms of "Seven Days" and in terms of farming and rural life in the "On the Land" programme, which was a significant one in its own right.

There was an election in 1973. As a 13 year old, and being the emerging nerd that I was, Ted Nealon's uncanny predictions of that election and the exact results that materialised outdid the computer, rudimentary as it was at that time. We did not particularly like the predictions but they came through in any event. His capacity to analyse constituencies, voters, geography, transfers and so forth was incredible. Basil Chubb, one of our original pioneering political scientist, described Ted Nealon as having an "encyclopaedic and detailed knowledge of people, places, local events and opinions". He was the founder and editor of Nealon's Guide,which has become the bible in terms of research, quickly wanting to reference various elections, Deputies, Senators and so forth. That is one of his lasting legacies that has informed the work of many people who cover and analyse politics to the present day.

He was, in many respects, ideal for politics, public life and membership of Dáil Éireann. The Taoiseach referenced his role as a press officer or Jack of all trades for the Fine Gael Party in earlier times when he was Government press secretary in 1976. He knew politics from every side of the coin, every angle and every perspective. As a Minister for State, he was particularly effective, particularly in the arts and culture portfolio which I would single out. He had a particular grá for that and that was in the days before we have a full ministry for the arts and culture. He also served as Minister of State in the Department of Agriculture and Minister of State in the Department of Posts and Telegraphs.

He did great work in Sligo, particularly in working for the establishment of the North West Hospice, which owes a great deal to his work and contribution. He will be remembered for his integrity as a public servant and politician, as a legendary raconteur and for his story telling capacity and as a very well liked and very able politician across this House and across politics in general. His family can be very proud of his contribution to Irish life in its many and varied forms. We extend our sincere sympathies to his family and to the Fine Gael Party who have lost one of their true friends and great contributors. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Ba mhaith liom mo chomhbhrón a dhéanamh le clann Ted Nealon. Ní raibh aithne pearsanta agam ar Ted ach léigh mé an leabhar a scrígh sé, go háirithe Nealon's Guide, agus chonaic mé é agus an tUasal Brian Farrell ar RTE. Mar a dúirt an Taoiseach agus daoine eile, mar Theachta Dála agus saoránach, rinne Ted Nealon obair galánta ar son mhuintir an Stáit agus ar son a Dháil cheantair féin. Thar ceann Shinn Féin, ba mhaith liom mo chomhbhrón a dhéanamh dá bhean chéile, Jo, a mhac, Fergal, a iníon, Louise, agus an teaghlach ar fad. Ba mhaith liom mo chomhbhrón a dhéanamh fosta le Fine Gael.

Fine Gael was very much a part of Ted Nealon's life and he enriched it as has been said and acknowledged by his contribution over many years. I did not know him personally. I read Nealon's Guide and I saw him on RTE programmes, particularly on "Seven Days" with Brian Farrell. As others have pointed out, he was elected to this House in 1981. I remember that year well because it was the year of the hunger strikes. Kieran Doherty and Paddy Agnew were also elected and Joe McDonald narrowly missed being elected in Sligo-Leitrim. That was Ted's second attempt to be elected and he went on to hold that seat for 16 years, winning six successive general elections before he retired. As is well known, before he became a full-time politician, he was a journalist. I want to associate myself with the Taoiseach's remarks and other remarks about Brian Farrell. These two men modernised people's understanding of politics, particularly in the detailed approach that they took and the encyclopaedic knowledge they both had. I noticed a few times in the days of black-and-white broadcasting that he clashed with people with whom he would later share government. His work as a journalist obviously empowered him and gave him particular insights as to how he would function as a Deputy.

I read Ted Nealon's Nealon's Guide. Some members of the current Fine Gael Party might not appreciate the fact that his very well researched work was utilised by Sinn Féin to assist our electoral engagement but I am sure Ted Nealon would be delighted because it is very clear that he loved politics, electoralism, Parliament and all that goes with it.

On top of all of this, we must remember that, aside from the being a public figure, he was a husband and a father. To Jo, Fergal, Louise, and his extended family, I express my sincere sympathies because it is they who will have the huge gap in their lives. I hope they will take comfort from the tributes paid here and those I am sure that were paid locally and that they will know that in his long life he helped many people and that he was generally liked and respected by friends and political opponents alike. That is something that is hard to achieve - to be liked by one's political opponents as well as by one's friends. Go ndéana Dia trócaire ar a anam dílis.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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I call Deputy Shane Ross on behalf of the Technical Group.

Shane Ross (Dublin South, Independent)
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I join all the other speakers in expressing sympathy at the death of Ted Nealon to his wife, Jo, his son, Fergal, and to his daughter, Louise. I knew Ted Nealon and was here when he was a Minister and a Deputy. He brought to this House a full and very fulfilled life and, as other speakers have said, a great knowledge of the outside world, which was the basis and foundation of his expertise in politics when he came here.

He wrote the book to which everybody has referred after 1973 when he starred in that famous programme and defied all the other predictions which were being made by experts, including computers, in forecasting during the programme that the party, which he was later to join, would form a government. That was because he had done an extraordinary amount of work and carried an enormous amount of knowledge about the detail of every village and town in this country.

I believe his heart and head happily coincided on that occasion, which gave him both the result he wanted and the correct result. That was a pleasant coincidence. He then went on to become Government press secretary in 1976 and to be elected to the Dáil in 1981. At the same time, his book continued to be published.

I think I am right in saying that the references to his Gaelic football career are correct but this was combined with a rather versatile career in sport in that he also played rugby league for Lancashire. I am sure he was the only person who played rugby league for Lancashire that also played Gaelic football for Sligo. That is a magnificent achievement. While it is probably not his greatest achievement it is one that is probably unlikely to be repeated.

The Taoiseach was probably massaging the truth when he referred to Ted having written a book entitled Tales of Leinster House. The book was actually entitled Tales from the Dáil Bar.The Dáil bar was a pleasant place in which to meet Ted Nealon because, as others have said, he was a magnificent raconteur. He was, if I might say so, pretty well party blind in the choice of his friends in that he did not appear to distinguish between those who sat on the Government side of the House and this side of it. He was so entranced and absolutely intrigued by the business of politics that he would talk about it to anyone and share his great knowledge with anybody regardless of colour.

We have lost someone with a great fascination with and knowledge of politics and who made a great contribution to politics. I again sympathise with his family.

John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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I am honoured to be a part of this formal acknowledgement by the Oireachtas of a former Member, colleague and friend, the late Ted Nealon. I welcome members of his family to the Distinguished Visitors Gallery. Ted's wife Jo is unable to be with us today but she is here in spirit. We are joined today by Ted's son, Fergal, and his wife, Sinead, his daughter, Louise, live from Sydney via the Oireachtas television service, his nephew, Ted Nealon, and members of the Loughnan and Townsend families. Their presence today reminds us all that while we have lost a much respected former colleague, they have lost a much loved husband, father and friend. It is appropriate that this commemoration is taking place today as yesterday would have been Ted's 85th birthday. He was born on 25 November 1929 at Coolrecuill, Aclare, County Sligo.

As Ted represented Sligo-Leitrim in Dáil Éireann for 16 years and I followed in his footsteps as a Deputy for Sligo-Leitrim, I came to know him very well, both as a political expert and as a person. It is to Ted Nealon the person that I pay tribute today. The full scope of Ted's life and times, his outstanding achievements as a sportsman, journalist and politician are well-known and documented. For the record, he played with distinction with Sligo GAA for many years and also played with Connacht in the Railway Cup competition. Two of his most outstanding personal qualities were his wisdom and his sense of compassion. His personal wisdom was a combination of exceptional intellectual capacity, evident from an early age in the many council scholarships he won and in his unique ability to analyse and understand the political process from an early age.

Ted was a distinguished journalist and current affairs broadcaster who made a successful transition into politics, which is very much the exception. It is important to note that he was a reporter and presenter with the RTE program "Seven Days" and was part of a heavyweight team that included the late Brian Farrell, Bill O'Herlihy and John O'Donoghue. It was the first television programme that brought a new cutting edge to current affairs. Cross-examination was very new at that time. Ted won a Jacob's Award in 1973 for his coverage of the then general election. His analytical side was well-complemented by a strong sense of sympathetic understanding of people. Ted lost his mother when he was a young child and this sad experience sharpened his sense of compassion for others in adversity. As he wrote in his book, the only visual memory of his mother that he carried through life was of the lid of the coffin leaning against the wall of the house as they prepared to take her to the church. It was these particular qualities of intellectual capacity, analytical ability and compassion for people combined into one personality that made him one of the foremost political commentators and election forecasters this country had ever seen.

The Nealon's Guide to the Dáil and Seanad, published in 1973 and following every election since, has become the indispensable bible for those interested in Irish politics. Ted was extremely proud of his agreement with The Irish Timesthat it continue in publication into the future. Never one to take the easy road, Ted then decided to leave the role of commentator on politics for the more onerous role of actually being in politics. Again, he devoted all his skills and energy to being a very successful local representative for his native place and later became Minister of State. Being the first Minister of State with responsibility for arts and culture and being vested by the French Government with the very distinctive honour of Commandeur dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres were two of his proudest achievements.

I am taking a short cut through his time as a Member of the Dáil because I want to get to speak a little about what is probably his greatest legacy to us all as politicians, namely, his book entitled Tales from the Dáil Bar. Ted's book, in a spirit of generosity and understanding, speaks of politics and politicians in a style that is illuminating yet kindly and humorous. In the tales he chooses to relate, he speaks to us of his own sympathetic understanding of the challenges facing anyone who wishes to be in politics: the clinics, the funerals, the election campaign canvassing and - a favourite of mine - the everyday challenge of trying to remember the names of a vast number of people and how to try and skate past the problem when a name you actually know becomes trapped on the tip of the tongue and refuses absolutely to move any further.

At the other end of the scale, Ted takes in a vast sweep of economic and social history into his story about the clinic for the poitín maker. First, he tells of how new EU agriculture policies led to the demise of the widespread production of poitín. He then comments on the rural folklore that poitín was a valuable alternative medicine in the prevention of flu and colds, a comment that would be credible enough were it not immediately followed by the advice that if the poitín did not work as a preventative therapy, it was also a great cure for anyone with a bad flu or cold. The tales he chose to write of in his book speak to us of his wisdom and compassion, but it is in the gentle and humorous way he tells the stories that we can come to understand fully his sympathetic view of politics and politicians and of his great insight into and empathy for everyone. Apart from some very witty stories about election rallies and politician retorts to hecklers, he speaks little about the campaigning clashes and policy battles fought within and between parties during election campaigns, preferring instead to focus on the human and personal side of politics within Leinster House. In his modesty, the few stories he tells of his personal involvement in some great political drama are told mostly as a compliment to some outstanding quality of another politician.

In his time as a Member of this House and in his Tales from the Dáil Bar, Ted was generous in his comments about colleagues. It is appropriate that in this formal acknowledgement by the Oireachtas to the memory of our colleague and friend, we are also generous in the memories of him that we share today. I join the Taoiseach and all other Members in expressing sympathy to the Nealon family on the death of Ted. I particularly wish to express my sympathies to his wife and children, his extended family and many friends. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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It is fitting that we are paying tributes today to the late Ted Nealon. I welcome his family to Dáil Éireann. I knew Ted Nealon. My first engagement with politics was during the H-Block hunger strikes. Up to that point, I had kept a lengthy distance from politics. The H-Block hunger strikes drove me to try to bring about change in this country.

My first engagement with what I would call a senior politician was with Ted Nealon. I had engagement with politicians because I was deeply involved in the Joe McDonnell election campaign but it was more about trying to save his life than it was about getting him elected. We were trying to get him elected in order to save his life and the lives of others. I had engagement with many politicians, in particular with Deputies in Sligo-Leitrim and throughout the north west.

I will say now what I have said down through the years. Ted Nealon was the best of the senior politicians I met during that very traumatic time. Ted Nealon was a gentleman, a consummate politician and a humanitarian. Some of the Deputies would not talk to me while others talked to me and said they would do something but nothing happened. On several occasions, Ted Nealon took me in, sat down and explained to me the concern he had not only for the hunger strikers but for society and for the destabilising effect politics was having on people. He explained what he was doing to try to help resolve the situation. He also explained the limitations of a senior politician and the limitations of what he could and could not do. He was superb. He was greatly loved and respected by the people of Sligo-Leitrim. He is probably one of those rare breeds - a gentleman who went into politics but who did not lose the gentlemanly aspect. May the good Lord rest him and may the family be proud of him because the people of Sligo-Leitrim will always be proud of Ted Nealon.

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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While I did not share a constituency with Ted Nealon, our constituencies of Donegal South-West and Sligo-Leitrim bordered one another. I got to know Ted very well before I was elected to this House through his television programmes and so on. I had the privilege and the pleasure of sharing 15 or 16 very enjoyable years with him on the third floor of Leinster House. Ted Nealon was a national figure even before he became a Member of this House. He was a very versatile man, a very talented man and a very talented footballer,which we, in Donegal, know all about. He was a journalist, a television pundit, a Deputy and a Minister of State.

He was a very talented journalist who started off with The Monaghan Argusand ended up as a political correspondent in The Irish Press. Many times he told us that late in the evening, he would get a telephone call from the chief - Deputy Martin will know who the chief was - suggesting to him in a very gentle way what would be a suitable headline for the next day's edition of the newspaper. I believe Ted always paid heed to what the chief suggested.

In the 1960s, he went on to become one of the anchormen on "7 Days" and succeeded in bringing politics and the workings of this House into every sitting room and to every fireside in the country. He was also a pioneer in his journalistic career and became editor of The Sunday Review, which some Members may remember. I think it was a sister paper of The Irish Times. He brought a new type of political comment to that newspaper.

I mention the well-known Mayo man, the late John Healy, who the Taoiseach would have known very well and who was probably a friend of his. Saturday would not have been Saturday for those of us who were interested into politics unless we read Backbencher because we were all convinced that whoever Backbencher was, if he was not a Cabinet Minister, then he certainly had a seat underneath the Cabinet table. "Today Tonight" was also a great programme.

He also made an iconic programme which had to do with my county. He went to Donegal and stood at the top of a mountain near Glenswilly. He had two gentlemen with him, the late Mandy Kelly, who was the Fine Gael man, and the late Tony Gallagher, who was the Fianna Fáil man. They started off at the top of that glen. At O'Donnell's house, Mandy was told it would be his while at the next house, Tony was told it would be his. At the next house, Tony was hold he was one of his while Mandy was told she was on his side. He went through every house in that glen and designated the politics of every person in every house with the exception of the parish priest's house who Ted said had enough on his plate and that they would pass him by. They did not divulge his politics at all. That was one of the iconic programmes he made and I am delighted RTE still has it in its archives and shows it now and again.

What is known asNealon's Guide, which is the bible for anyone interested in politics, was mentioned. I remember being abroad a number of times, including at British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly meetings, where people always had a biographical note of who we were and where we came from, which was always taken from Nealon's Guide. I will make a confession to this House that there was one inaccuracy in that guide, of which only Ted Nealon and I were aware. Ted is gone to his eternal rest but I am still here. I suppose at this stage of my political career, it is not worth divulging what that mistake was.

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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I remember we were at the great Washington conference in 1996, which all Border Deputies and politicians from the North attended. We were guests of President Clinton. Ted and I went to Boston to see some Irish people and for the first time ever, I became aware of my age. We arrived in Boston before the hotel rooms were ready and the lady in the hotel said we had to wait for a few hours but we could not decide what would we do early in the morning. There were leaflets about a tour of Boston on the desk with two prices, €18 and €12. Remember this was 1996, almost 20 years ago. I asked what the difference was between the two prices. The lady said there was no difference except that the €12 price was for senior citizens. Ted said we would have two of those. Whatever about Ted's age, I felt my age that day.

He was a great friend and raconteur. He worked in the Government Information Service from 1973 to 1977 and there are many stories about that era which have not yet been told. Not only was Ted a colleague but he was a friend. I had the privilege and pleasure of visiting his home in Sligo on numerous occasions where I was entertained with warmth and hospitality by Jo, Fergal and Louise, who unfortunately is not with us today as she is in Australia. I would like to extend my condolences and sympathy to the entire family. He was a great man, a pioneer, in many respects, and a versatile man.

Mar a dúirt Tomás Ó Criomhthain ins an leabhar dadó An tOileánach, "Ní bheidh a leithéid arís ann". Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.