Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am honoured to have been asked by the Fianna Fáil group to pay tribute to the legendary figure of Brian Friel. I think that, with my friend and colleague, Senator David Norris, we are the only Members who served with him. I was first elected in 1987 when he was nominated as a Senator by the then Taoiseach Mr. Charles Haughey. It was a part of Mr. Haughey's make-up; he was a great patron of the arts. At the time, it was widely welcomed that Brian Friel should be recognised and honoured through a nomination to this House. From an historical point of view, it is interesting that he never actually sat in this Chamber because the Seanad met in the ante-room, as Senator David Norris may remember. As one does, a Senator in the previous Seanad, between 1982 and 1987, was glancing at the wonderful ceiling, which is a feature of the House, and noticed that rather ominously it was cracking and that dust was falling from it. The Office of Public Works was brought in and it decided to shut the place down. As a result, when I first came here in 1987, the Seanad met in the ante-chamber. There were Senators, including Brian Friel, who, while serving in that Seanad, did not physically get to sit in this Chamber, which in a way is sad.