Paddy Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to be associated with the expressions of sympathy to the family of the late John Carty. I welcome his wife, Kathleen, and members of the Carty and Regan families. The number of Senators present in the Chamber and the number who have spoken to pay tribute to him are a measure of, and a tribute to, the popularity of the late John Carty who was a very popular man. A number of former Members of the House are present, including Eamon Scanlon, John Ellis, the former Cathaoirleach, Rory Kiely, and Geraldine Feeney, with Deputies Dara Calleary and Éamon Ó Cuív, Councillor Caulfield from Ballyhaunis and former Deputy Johnny Brady from County Meath.

I knew John Carty very well. I served with him on Mayo County Council for a number of years, as well as in this House. He was an absolute gentleman. If there was ever a gentleman, he was one. He had a very close friend and great mentor in the late P. J. Morley who was a Member of the Dáil for over 20 years and served for many years on Mayo County Council. They were very close friends and got on very well together. Not all politicians get on well together, but these two gentlemen who were from the same area did.

There are people one meets throughout life and in politics of whom one has no abiding memories, but I have two of the late John Carty. One was when he announced grants to the constituency and it must be said he announced many. He brought many grants to the constituency, whether for industry, crèches, roads or whatever else. The majority of councillors and Deputies would make an announcement of a sum of €300,000 or €500,000, but John Carty would always say it was €300,150.59. He always referred to the pounds, shillings and pence.

My other memory of him concerns the first slogan John Carty used in his first general election campaign, "Carty cares". He did care. He had a very good man putting up these posters, Seamus Regan, who is in the Visitors Gallery and was a builder. After he had finished putting them up, they would not stir and nobody stole them. That was John Carty's slogan. It worked for him, as he was elected to the Dáil. It was a very good slogan.

As other Senators said, the Cartys had an open house in Knock. Everybody was welcome, regardless of who one was. Whether one was high or low, a politician, a priest or an ordinary person, it was an open house. John Carty represented the people of Knock, Ballyhaunis, Claremorris and south Mayo at a very high level in this House, the Dáil and on Mayo County Council. He put the people of County Mayo and his constituency first, whether it was at local authority level, in this House or the Lower House. He was a great advocate for Knock Airport and fought tooth and nail for every cent that was allocated to Knock during his term as a Member of the Houses. He worked tirelessly on its behalf, which was a great credit to him. There are many more monuments in the constituency to him.

John Carty was an absolute gentleman and I am delighted to say my few words in tribute to him. He was full of wisdom and a very funny man. He was also a dapper man. He was everything Members have said in the Chamber.

Kathleen is very welcome. It is a sad day and has been a sad year for her and her family. He is a great loss to her, Fianna Fáil and the people of County Mayo. However, he served the people very well and was a great family man. I have no doubt that he is in a very happy place. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.