Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)

Members of the House were saddened to learn last week of the death of Mr. Ruairí Brugha. I will speak on behalf of my party this morning. All Members knew or knew of Ruairí Brugha. I have an ordinary, every day memory of him as a quiet man whom we regularly saw in Oireachtas Library reading his papers. We all did that until recently. He went about his business quietly in the House.

Many tributes to him have been published in the newspapers. As the Cathaoirleach is aware, he was twice a member of this House, serving as the Taoiseach's nominee from 1969 to 1973 and again from 1977 to 1981. It is on this basis that we pay our tributes to him today. Behind his quiet exterior lay a person who was steeped in Irish history. He was the son of Cathal Brugha who was injured during the 1916 Rising and killed in what is now Cathal Brugha Street during the Civil War. Ruairí Brugha later married Máire McSwiney, the daughter of Terence McSwiney, thus uniting two famous patriot families.

Ruairí Brugha's political life was devoted to reconciliation and his demeanour and qualities were in keeping with this aim. He was adopted by, or adopted, the constituency of Dublin South County. From 1973 to 1977, he spoke for the Fianna Fáil leader, Jack Lynch, on many matters relating to Northern Ireland. Fianna Fáil was in opposition at the time. He observed minutely a bipartisan approach to the North with Fine Gael and the Government and was very respectful and conscientious in this regard. He strongly supported the Sunningdale agreement.

Ruairí Brugha was a member of the IRA early in his life. It would have been odd if he did not become a member, given his family background. When he was released from the Curragh on health grounds, he had become disenchanted with the way the IRA had been treated by the Government led by Éamon de Valera. He joined Clann na Poblachta and stood for election but did not succeed in this endeavour. He then returned to the fold, so to speak, where I am sure he was happiest.

His mother was director of Kingston Clothing Company, a very famous company which he joined as managing director as he had to earn a living while he was on this precarious political path. I understand from a conversation some months ago that he was an excellent managing director. One would not have imagined him in such a role.

His wife was the daughter of Terence McSwiney, who was known around the world as a result of his hunger strike, which he endured with heroic dignity. Ruairí Brugha's marriage was a great merging of families. I understand that Máire Brugha's book, which was published before Christmas and launched by the Taoiseach, is a wonderful work which I intend to read.

Ruairí Brugha leaves a widow and four children. We offer the sympathy of this House to them today, bearing in mind that he was an eager attendee of and speaker within it. We also bear in mind the way in which this quiet man was able to shape his life into one of reconciliation and the use of peaceful means to bring about his aims, given that he came from the physical force tradition of Irish nationalism. He never abandoned his commitment to Irish unity, which was his overriding aim, but he strongly believed in reconciliation between Unionists and Nationalists. Throughout his life, he sought to bring about this reconciliation by peaceful means. He was ahead of his time in this regard and we seek to bring about the reconciliation for which he worked. He saw the need for such reconciliation then.

I extend the sympathy of the Fianna Fáil Party in the Seanad to his wife Máire; their four children, Deirdre, Cathal, Terry and Ruairí; and his sister, Neasa. He graced this House with his presence and powerful ideas about reconciliation.