Lorraine Higgins (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I join others in expressing sincere sympathy to the family and friends of the late John Carty who packed so much into life in his 63 years. He was widely admired and respected by his colleagues and constituents. I hope these tributes will give immense pride to his wife, Kathleen; his eight children and extended family who are gathered here in what he achieved in his life, as well as offering a small degree of comfort as they try to deal with his loss. I know more about him than some of the new Senators, even though I only met him shortly after my appointment to the House. The reason I know a lot about him is I was a school friend of his son, James.
To say the 1997 general election was interesting on many levels is an understatement. John started his career in the then Department of Agriculture, which eventually brought him back to settle in County Mayo. He was very proud of the county and farming was his love, with history and family research. While he accomplished a lot in that regard, we must acknowledge that there were many highlights in his career, not least of which was his triumph in the Mayo County Council elections in 1999, when he topped the poll. He went on to contest the 2002 general election and eventually served in the Seanad.
John's legacy to the west must be acknowledged. He championed Knock Airport because he had a vision for what it could become. In one newspaper interview he described the airport as the jewel in the crown of County Mayo. The airport was granted €27 million in development funding in 2007 and he played no small part in having that money delivered. It is difficult to quantify what this investment meant for the people of County Mayo and the west more broadly. That Knock Airport remains a vital hub for business and recreational travellers is due to the tireless work he and his colleagues in County Mayo. His family should be very proud of what he achieved. The west and the people of County Mayo were incredibly lucky to have been represented in the Houses of the Oireachtas by a man of his calibre.
Like my colleague, Senator Maurice Cummins, I wish to finish with the following quote from the eulogy given by John's daughter at his funeral:

Good night, sweet prince,
And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!

May he rest in peace.