Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

When I was first elected to this House in 1997, I realised that I was only an imposter as Jim Walsh. During the count my family were manning the counting of the votes - I must have been away in the bar or somewhere else when I got to the stage I could relax at the count. When I came back I was told that a man was waiting to meet me urgently but had not left his name. When I came back a second time, that man had returned and this time said he wanted to meet his namesake. I am not even sure if we met at that count, but I certainly got to know Mr. Jimmy Walsh afterwards.

Like all other Members of this House I came to respect and like the genuineness of a reporter. Politicians often have a sense of suspicion when dealing people in the media - often with good reason. However, Mr. Jimmy Walsh stood out as a man who could be trusted and had good views. I concur to some extent with Senator Norris that if he could be a Member of this House, I would certainly like to welcome another republican among our midst. We got to know each other's political views over time, as I am sure many other Members have in sharing various stories and anecdotes. I also got to know some of my colleagues here who kept in frequent contact with Mr. Jimmy Walsh because I often got messages for him on my phone when I was in the five-storey block. Senator Norris was a particularly frequent caller and I always passed on his messages to Mr. Jimmy Walsh.