Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Senator Mark Daly mentioned my humble background earlier and the fact that I was fortunate that Donogh O'Malley introduced free education in 1967.A few of us got an education. My first leap into secondary education was at the old boys club in Bantry, which was no more than a glorified shed. My class was small, and seven of them have, unfortunately, gone to their eternal reward. I forgot earlier that one of my classmates, Phelim O'Sullivan and his wife, Jane, are in the Visitors Gallery. We go back a long way. He felt that going beyond the junior certificate, then called the intermediate certificate, was probably a leap too far for me. At least I am here now. I welcome them, along with my daughter-in-law, Claire, who has just come into the Visitors Gallery.