Feargal Quinn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Thank you very much, a Chathaoirligh. I am taking a slightly different role today because I have heard so many wonderful stories about our friend, Eddie Haughey.

I got to know him very well. The very first time I met him, he and his wife, Mary, and I and my wife, Denise, were at a dinner here in Dublin. I was introduced to him as Senator Feargal Quinn. It must have been about 1993; I had just become a Senator. It was fairly clear that Eddie did not know a great deal about life down here at that stage. He certainly learned later. He asked me what state I came from and I asked what he meant by state. He assumed I was American. He did not even know that there was a Seanad here. He then collared me and asked how one can become a Senator. I talked to him about that and said I would love to see somebody like him in the Senate because I have a criticism when I see a Government being run by people who have never had to worry about finding the money to pay the wages at the end of the week. I told him that I would like to see more business people like him in the Government, the Dáil or the Seanad or anywhere else. I was thrilled when he became a "twofor" - I think that was his term. He told me a "twofor" was someone who gets two for the price of one and that he was going to bring both business experience and Northern Ireland experience to the Seanad. That is exactly what he did, as we heard from Senator Ó Murchú. He created Northern business here and he was able to get involved and talk about it. He became a spokesperson for the Fianna Fáil Government at the time. I do not believe he ever took the Whip to the extent of saying he was going to do what he had been told to do.

Our offices were across the road in Kildare House and we used to walk over whenever a vote took place. I explained to him that the pedestrian lights between Kildare House and here were the fastest moving pedestrian lights in Dublin, in case a vote were to be called and we were at the other side of the road and were to miss it by a few seconds. On one occasion he talked to me about how he had tabled an amendment. I said that was interesting and he said that it was against a Fianna Fáil policy. I said to him to go ahead and do it. I was normally voting against the Government at that time but in that instance I was going to vote the other way around. He had such a sense of humour and joy and he really enjoyed being here. Others who have spoken today have spoken of the joy he took in being deeply involved in Northern Ireland affairs but also in business affairs.

I had another link with him in that my grandfather came from Attical, which is not that far from Ballyedmond. Some years after I had first met him, Edward had an illness and was out for a few weeks. I was going to a family funeral in Attical and I phoned his office to see how he was and if I could get in touch with him as I would be going past Ballyedmond. Even though he had been out of action and laid up, he still went to work there on occasion. He should not have been doing it and he said he would be back to Ballyedmond Castle in a few minutes. I waited for him and he showed me around with such great pride and with great stories. He was a storyteller galore and could entertain so well.

When my daughter, Gillian, who is a friend of his daughter, Caroline, was invited to Caroline's 21st birthday, she said the hospitality that Mary and Edward gave was such that everybody felt welcome in Ballyedmond Castle. They also felt welcome here. I remember he invited me to have a look at his house in Fitzwilliam Square. We walked over and what a lovely house it was. We got an invitation to dinner there one night, but he did not get outside caterers to do the dinner. He got his own team from Ballyedmond Castle to come down to Dublin and entertain his guests here, and what a great night it was. A number of us from the Seanad were invited on that occasion.

My last time to meet him was at the time of Seanad reform. The referendum took place a year ago this week. He immediately offered to do anything he could to help. He was very happy to get involved in that. When we had a little lunch - I would not say celebration - afterwards, he came down and met many old friends here and everyone remembered him so well. We got a jolt when he died but I prefer to look back on today as a celebration of a life that fitted so much into it and also brought so much joy to so many of us. What a great success story it has been to have somebody who could be successful and still have that sense of family, humour and personality that he was able to instil in everyone he met. I am happy to say to the family here today that we miss him, and they miss him, but I am sure he is looking down at us and smiling and saying: "I think I made a mark. I think I made a difference." He certainly made a difference to everybody with whom he came into contact and to people in Northern Ireland, certainly around Newry, where my father grew up, and in north County Louth as well. I hope he is looking down at us and that he is proud of the team that has come to pay respects to him today. I know we are proud of him as well. This is a man whom we will not forget, whom we honoured and enjoyed, and a man who showed us what can be done if we are determined to do it.