John Ellis (Fianna Fail)

I have a distinction not shared by any other Member of the House. I served with Senator Séamus Dolan and had the honour of supporting his candidacy as Cathaoirleach in 1977. This is a sad day, and we welcome Bríd and the Dolan family to the House. For them, this is the closing of a chapter. His membership of the House, which lasted for more than 20 years, was as important to them as it was to him.

Séamus Dolan always saw himself as serving the ordinary, plain people of Ireland and looking after the people he knew, whether in Gubaveeney, Doobally or back in west Cavan. The only sin he committed was to move across Glan mountain and go to teach in what west Cavan people call "the other part of Cavan", which was something we all accepted.

He was one of my closest colleagues when I first came to this House. Many a time he hauled me over the coals in a nice way, saying I was going a bit far and that I should take it easy because there were different ways of doing things than the way I was trying to do them. I suppose we all come here with the exuberance and ambition to change the world. We discover that we cannot change the world but we can help to make some small moves in improving society and the lot of the people we represent.

Séamus Dolan was, first and foremost, a Fianna Fáil man. Fianna Fáil was more important to him than any individual.

It was the party he saw himself as representing. It represented the ordinary people who voted for him and they showed that appreciation by the number of times on which they elected him to Cavan County Council. They also elected him to Dáil Éireann and in turn, he was elected by councillors, Deputies and Senators to Seanad Éireann. He did a tremendous job as Cathaoirleach of the Seanad and brought a level of dignity to the Chair that was equivalent to that brought by the present Cathaoirleach. He brought reverence to the House, which was much different than it is today. There probably was less rhetoric and more substance then and whoever conducts a review of the Seanad in future should look back to ascertain how it operated during his tenure as Cathaoirleach, because it operated in a different manner and with a different modus. This is a matter that must be examined.

I wish to be associated with the tributes to Séamus Dolan, a former colleague and close friend, of whose knowledge and wisdom I have been a beneficiary. I can only say to his wife, Bríd, and to his family that it was a pleasure to have known Séamus Dolan and to have served in this House with him. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.