Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail)

Kit Ahern was a cousin of mine. She was a person I greatly admired and whom I was proud to support during her long and successful political career. She was an individual of great vision and with a strong sense of duty to serve her country and community. She was driven primarily by a desire to ensure women received political equality at a time when that principle was not universally acknowledged. She was president of the ICA prior to her involvement in politics and she worked hard to develop home industry for housewives at a time when there were few opportunities for women outside the home.

Kit was honoured to receive a nomination to the Seanad from the then Taoiseach, Seán Lemass, on two occasions, in 1964 and 1965. As Senator Alex White observed, she accepted the nomination to the Seanad as a tribute to mná na hÉireann. She was subsequently elected to the Seanad in 1969 and 1973 on the cultural and educational panel before finally being elected to Dáil Éireann in 1977, on the fourth attempt, after coming close on two occasions prior to that. Just before her death she joked to me that the new configuration of north Kerry and west Limerick gave her reason to think of coming out of retirement at the age of 92. Her political battles in north Kerry, not all of them with members of other political parties, are part of the folklore of political life in the county. Kit used to say it is not a question of the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog. She always displayed great courage in adversity.

She was a great supporter of all things Gaelic. Bhí fíor-ghrá ag Kit dár gcultúr dhúchais. Bhí sí dílis don teanga Gaeilge i rith a saol. She was a loyal and dependable individual. Her integrity was important to her and there could be no compromise on matters of principle. This was the reason for her decision to join the Progressive Democrats Party under the leadership of her close friend, Des O'Malley, a man she admired greatly and who is admired by many of us in north Kerry. This decision was respected by her former colleagues in Fianna Fáil and although she made many new friends, she never lost her old ones. However, her decision gave me many sleepless nights at the time.

Her late husband, Dan, and her brother, Eoin, were her greatest supporters. She was proud of all her family, with a special pride in the achievements of her nephew, Eoin "The Bomber" Liston. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue her work in the Seanad and to pay tribute to her in this Chamber. I thank the Leader for arranging this tribute to Kit. On behalf of her family, I thank all those who have spoken so kindly of her.