Lisa McDonald (Fianna Fail)

I express my deepest sympathy with the family of Kieran Phelan and the community of Rathdowney in Laois. I met Kieran when I entered the House as a young Senator in 2007. As Senator Corrigan said, he often invited me to tag along to tea after the Order of Business. Since he departed, I feel that time of the day has passed with him in that we are not as good at engaging in the camaraderie and craic that he seemed to embody and bring out of us all. It is this that we, as a community of Senators, really miss about Kieran.

Kieran Phelan and I shared a love of the GAA. It struck me how happy he was when his club won the club championship. He was able to tell me about how my club had won the championship and tell me that members of my community that I did not even know were ill or in trouble. He seemed to have antennae watching every parish in Ireland. He was the quintessential Irishman. He loved his community, parish, people, county, country, party and the GAA. He also loved his mother, which is another sign of a good Irishman. Of course, he loved his tea. He used to always invite us for tea and this is what I do not want to forget about him. There are many different types of politicians but I learned from Kieran that some politicians just spring from their communities. He was one of the latter.

On the day of Kieran's funeral, I was struck with awe regarding the massive crowd that was in attendance. I recall, as a young child, reading about the funeral of Nicky Rackard in Wexford. The report I read indicated that the streets were jammed with people and that his coffin was flanked by his friends and family, members of the community and those whose lives he had touched. It was the same on the day Kieran was buried.

What Kieran did was neither a job nor a chore for him - that was just his way. He was absolutely brilliant at reaching out to people. I recall speaking to him just after I gave birth, when he informed me that his daughter, Fiona, had just been given the good news regarding Noah's impending birth. For the last few months of his life, Kieran continually spoke to me about babies, children etc. It was as if he was studying up on the subject. I know he was really looking forward to Noah's birth.

I know the Cathaoirleach is under pressure with regard to time constraints. I also know we could talk forever about Kieran Phelan. The phrase going through my mind at present is "Ní bheidh a leithéid arís ann". When I entered the Chamber earlier and saw little Noah and his amazing smile, I thought, Kieran Phelan will never be dead as long as that boy is alive. If Noah grows up to be half the man his grandfather was, he will be doing well.

In the context of his Irishness, his spirit and the great strength he gained from being Irish, which is something that is often overlooked, Kieran had it all. He certainly passed some of what he had on to me and I am aware that he touched many people's lives. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.