Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

This has been a wonderful tribute to a wonderful man. Senator Willie Farrell was an extraordinarily intelligent man who brought great progress to north County Sligo, in particular the Grange area. I extend my sympathy to his sons, Seamus and Liam, his daughter, Helen, his five lovely grandchildren who are in attendance and his good friends and supporters in north County Sligo who supported him for many years on the council, in particular Mattie Brennan, who is looking well, and Councillor Patsy Brennan, who was re-elected to the council in 2004 and 2009 after being co-opted onto it and who continued a great tradition in the area after Willie left the council.

I got to know Willie through the parliamentary party. From my Sligo connections, I knew of his work there. I also knew him from my time as Minister of State at the then Department of Industry and Commerce when he made great contributions to legislation passing through the Seanad. He invited me to open a lovely enterprise in Grange, Innisfree Crystal Limited. I have a lovely cut glass crystal decanter on my sideboard from that company. It is lovely and I will not return it unless someone wants it back.