Mary White (Fianna Fail)

I did not know Joe Doyle in his political capacity as Senator, mayor or Deputy and I never got to know him personally, but I knew him from attending mass in Donnybrook when I lived in the area in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was always on duty in the church. I was never conscious of the priest being at the church door, since it was always Joe who was there. I never spoke with him, but he engaged with everyone he met. He had an extraordinary gift of connecting with and smiling at each person he met. It is no wonder he was a successful politician, given that human touch. Every time I saw him, my imagination ran wild because he was the one who stepped in at the last minute as best man at the wedding of Brendan and Beatrice Behan. I could never imagine how a wedding could be so chaotic as to require the sacristan to step in. In this sense, he was an exotic figure.

As a young person, I was conscious of him as being a real politician on the ground. He dealt with local issues and looked after everyone in the area. As the other side of the House did, I compliment Mrs. Peggy Doyle on the 100% support she gave her husband. He could not have done what he did with her total support. I thank the Cathaoirleach for giving me this opportunity.