Fiona O'Malley (Independent)

A day like today is always difficult for a family. They are forced to remember the person who is so absent from their lives. I hope they get some comfort from the words of colleagues, because they are heartfelt. We all miss him.

I enjoyed listening to Senator Feeney's contribution because the word I really miss is "Rathdowney" and the way he would say it. That is when one realised the sound of the man and his ordinariness. That is what I miss most. I miss the way he would say: "Lave it; lave it." He had a beautiful musicality and ordinariness about him, yet he was an exceptional man. He had a talent for friendship. This is seen by all the people who have travelled far to pay tribute to him today.

An earlier speaker suggested that he was the most popular man in both Houses. Everything he did was done with great gusto, and I miss him. He was always in the House on Tuesdays. I might not always have been here at 2.30 p.m. but when the first vote was on, he would be sitting in his seat so that one wondered if he had stayed over the weekend. Not at all, he would have been in Rathdowney. I enjoyed talking to him about farming, because he had great passion about everything he did. He was such an exuberant man. He really was quite an exceptional individual and had great judgment.

The Taoiseach said in his tribute that he was totally dependable. That is such an ordinary word but it means so much. That is exactly what he was. He was a true gentleman and we miss him terribly. I can only imagine how much his family miss him.

It was his great privilege to serve in the Oireachtas. Previous Members have said how much pride and joy he took in serving here and he never took it for granted. As Senator McFadden said, he was a man who had such enthusiasm for politics. I loved that. He would recharge my batteries any day. I thought Senator McFadden paid him a lovely tribute. He loved to see people serve his country. The way he served his community was demonstrated at his funeral when so many people turned out and gave such an extraordinary funeral. As Senator Quinn said, he was the only person missing at his own funeral. He would have enjoyed it.