Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)

We were poaching as best we could. However, we met on the same evening that Michael Smith had been appointed as Minister. At approximately 9 p.m., when most people would have been finishing canvassing, we both received news that a celebration was taking place in Thurles for Michael O'Kennedy and Michael Smith, that all of the councillors in the Tipperary region probably would be there and that we should attend. We decided to meet up there and had a few pints. If I am being honest, we had a couple of gallons and stayed until the small hours. We shook hands that night and wished each other luck. As it transpires, I was elected to the Seanad that year but Kieran was not.

Another little thread of camaraderie is that my nominating body was the restaurant association known as Ireland's Blue Book. On my election to the Dáil in 2002, Kieran was one of the first to telephone me to congratulate me. He had received a nomination from the same nominating body and I wished him luck. I remember early on in the campaign being in west Cork when he rang late at night to ask whether it was too late to travel to Bantry to meet me. I told him there was no problem, as I was on my way to the opening of the Baltimore Seafood Festival and that if he wished, I would arrange to meet him there, as there was another councillor who could be fitted in. Rather than wait until the following day, we met in Baltimore.

I have many happy memories of Kieran and I am mindful of what he would wish Members to do here today. I was the youngest of 11 children in what I consider to be a big family, but when one hears of 18 children, God bless his great mother, as well as his wife, family and extended family. However, I wish to remember him as that hearty, jovial person whose body shook with laughter when he laughed. Members are present to celebrate his life and pay tribute to him. However, I would love to remember this day by recalling the huge attendance of Members, his family and so on.

To conclude, I wish to tell a funny story and Kieran would probably laugh at me from above. For health reasons, I was advised to join the gym after Christmas to shed a few pounds. When I went over to it, I was like a bull in a china shop on machines I had never used before. I had a special little red rucksack and one day - I believe it was a Thursday - as I wanted to get home early, I went to the gym for half an hour while waiting for our Whip, Senator Wilson, to give me the imprimatur to go. Proceedings were difficult that day and he reeled me in. I arrived at his office from the gym with my little red rucksack that contained all the bits and pieces that should have been in the wash. He told me that I could leave and when I remarked that I was under time pressure, he replied that he would look after my bag for me. The following week, when I looked for it, he could not recall what he had done with it. I checked with the Captain of the Guard and every usher in the House was looking for it. With all due respect, I was afraid that it would stink someone's room and wanted it found for the sake of my own sanity. Eventually, three weeks or so later, the search ended when Kieran - God be good to his soul - got wind of a desperate smell in his office. What had happened was that Senator Wilson had gone over to his office and threw the bag into it. Kieran had kicked it under the table where it had lain for three weeks. He actually apologised to me and told me that had he known it was my bag, he would have returned it to me. However, with all due respect, the real culprit was Senator Wilson. We all had a good laugh about it.

I would like to have happy memories of Kieran recollected here today. He would love Members to celebrate his tremendous life and political achievements. There is no doubt that his family, from his mother to his wife, children and siblings, were very proud of them, rightfully so.