John Carty (Fianna Fail)

We, Senator Wilson, Senator Ellis, Deputy Johnny Brady and myself and several others, all congregated in there and we had great times and great fun. When one would go into his office, as I did many times a day - indeed, he would go into mine and into Senator Wilson's - he might be on the telephone. He would be trying to get a problem solved for a constituent and the call would more than likely be to the county council office in Laois, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, or other places on different matters. He would come off the phone and say, "That one's solved". One would hear him saying, "Bye, bye, bye.", and one knew then he was on a winner.

When he would land in, I would ask was he going to such a meeting and he would say he had heard nothing about it. I would say that he got an email or a text, and he would answer that he never read them. That was Kieran's way. He wanted to do everything on the telephone. He wanted to have the personal touch, and he had it.

It is sad here today but it is also great to see four generations of the Phelans. That is a tribute to him as well. To his mother, to his wife Mary, to his family, to his grandchild, to his brothers and sisters, I offer my sincere sympathy.