Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Queen Victoria is supposed to have said that whenever she met William Gladstone, she was always left with the impression that he was a very clever man but that, after a meeting with Benjamin Disraeli, she was left with the impression that she was a very clever woman. There are no prizes for guessing which of the two Prime Ministers of Great Britain she favoured. Feargal had a way of putting you at your ease and showing great interest in what you had to say and your ideas, regardless of whether he agreed or disagreed with them. It was not that he had the cleverness of Disraeli to flatter people; he was genuinely interested in people. It is perhaps the gift of the grocer, even a very successful one, to want to find the good in everybody and to seek to be on good terms with all people, but that does not do justice to the gentlemanliness and - dare I say it - the Christian spirit which I think underlay Feargal's treatment of other people.

Another British parliamentarian, the Anglo-French poet Hilaire Belloc, wrote:

Of Courtesy, it is much less

Than Courage of Heart or Holiness,

Yet in my Walks it seems to me

That the Grace of God is in Courtesy.

The word "courtesy" has been mentioned many times, with good reason, as we remember Feargal. Feargal was a Senator for the constituency of the National University of Ireland, as it has been the honour of Senator Higgins, Senator McDowell and me to be, among others. I was greatly honoured and I rejoiced to get to know Feargal and to become friendly with him when I was elected in 2007. I did not realise when I was leaving that I would miss him, or that I would miss him so much when he died, even though I had only seen him a handful of times since he had left the Houses. It was probably something to do with the example he gave in the way he treated people. There is another UCD connection in this, because last Sunday week John Henry Newman, the first rector of the Catholic University which was effectively the forebear of UCD, was canonised in Rome. Apart from being a major church man, Newman was an amazing story in an Ireland in which the majority Catholic community in the 19th century was emerging from times of trial into a new confident age. He was also a great stylist and writer in the English language. I happened to be near Newman's church when I remembered that Newman had particular words to say about a gentleman, which are extremely apt for remembering Feargal. I offer this with apologies to the ladies present, because the language is not as exclusive as it might be if he had written in the 21st century:

He has his eyes on all his company; he is tender towards the bashful, gentle towards the distant, and merciful towards the absurd; he can recollect to whom he is speaking; he guards against unseasonable allusions, or topics which may irritate; he is seldom prominent in conversation, and never wearisome.

That was Feargal. He was understated and yet one was always aware that one was in his presence and enjoyed the conversation. It was not just the fact that he and I shared certain ideas about certain values that are very important and which are temporarily unfashionable. I very much admired his determination to stick to his point of view on things, regardless of what others thought while still holding great affection and goodwill for those people, regardless of their views and where they stood on the issues of great moment on which they disagreed. It is not just that he was also fortunate enough to enjoy some of the good things in this world and was a hospitable and generous host - although I must admit that it is nice to know such people, or at least some of them. It was more the way that being around Feargal was a pleasure. He encouraged other people. He was great encourager. If one made an interesting point or good speech - and they do not always happen around here - he was the most likely person to say that it was well said, a very good point, or very interesting.

Other people have reflected on his political achievements, which were great. He could certainly have graced another office in this country, that is for sure. He would have brought gifts and talents to that office which other holders have not matched, as good as the service they have given us has been. He did not hold that office, however. For whatever reason, it was not part of his story. He had many other achievements in politics however, in addition to his achievements in business and elsewhere. In the end, those things all go to dust. It is much more about the impact we have on other people, starting with our loved ones and families, and we all know how extremely proud of his family Feargal was. One would not be long sitting beside him during a lull or a vote before there would be some reference to something happening in the family, something a family member said, the birth of a new baby, or whatever else it might have been.

In the end, it is the relationships we have with others that impact most and that are our greatest legacy. Many knew Feargal, in whatever capacity. Others will have eulogised him better. Mr. Vincent O'Doherty and his family said some memorable and deserved things about him at his funeral. In the end it is about how one treats those around one, and Feargal was a model parliamentarian in that respect. He showed us how to make a point, how to engage, how to disagree without being disagreeable, and how to always seek to re-establish connections so the work can be done. We are very thankful for the gift Feargal was to these Houses. I personally am very grateful for having known him and for having had the privilege of his friendship. I join with others in again expressing my sincere condolences to his family on their great loss.