Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Robb family here today. I did not know their father which I admit at the outset. From reading about his life, I know that at the time he came to Seanad Éireann he was a trauma surgeon from the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast and he knew exactly the country he was dealing with and exactly the conflict that was going on in his part of the country. He took the brave step of sitting in this Parliament. I recently had some friends from Northern Ireland in this House who were from the Orange tradition. One of them said to me at the gates of Leinster House as he left that when he came down here he thought that when he walked in he would burst into flames. He said that we are not really bad people and John Robb clearly saw that.

He taught himself the Irish language, and I note The Irish Timesreferred to the fact that not only did he teach himself to read and speak it, but that he was quite an accomplished writer in the Irish language. That is some achievement. He was clearly a man who wanted to go beyond just being a Member of this House. He wanted to experience the culture and the tradition that we claim to be our own down here. It is people such as John Robb and Linda Ervine who have grasped the Irish traditions and culture and made them their own and for that, he will never be forgotten.

He blazed a trail for others who followed him, coming down here and representing the North of Ireland. The most recent addition to this House and one of the finest Senators in it is my colleague, Senator Marshall, who comes from the same tradition and has the same relaxed view I would think. Although I never knew John Robb, it would appear he had a relaxed view of how he would integrate into a system that was predominantly republican down here at the time.

Having lost my own father I know there is never a good time to lose one's father. Dad is Dad even if he is 80 or 180 - it makes no difference. The Robb family will miss their father dearly but they should know that this country owes him a debt. That debt will never be paid but we are grateful to him for what he did.

I will finish by saying that blessed are the peacemakers, for he was one of the trailblazers for peace in Ireland. May he rest in peace.