Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Good man. I saw the Leas-Chathaoirleach there. Rory had a fantastic interest in people and loved to be involved with them. It was not just for the votes, though we are all guilty of that to some extent. Rory was genuinely interested in people. He wanted to know their stories, what they were up to, what was going on with their families, and who was up to what. This stood to him politically and in all other walks of life. In his first run for the Seanad, Rory started from a very low base, but picked up transfers from all parties as the day went on and was elected comfortably in the end. It was that ability to connect with voters, including non-Fianna Fáil supporters, that ensured Rory was re-elected with a plurality in his Seanad elections thereafter. He was a popular choice for Cathaoirleach when he attained that prestigious position in 2002 - the highest honour to which any Senator can aspire. Any young politician setting out in this profession could do worse than study Rory Kiely's modus operandiand CV. Even in this era of new politics and fake news, there is no substitute for personality and hard graft. May it always be so.

I am thinking today, as is the Leas-Chathaoirleach, of our Cathaoirleach, Senator Denis O'Donovan, who was a lifelong friend and companion to Rory. The Cathaoirleach set this event in motion with Rory's family and I know how much he was looking forward to it. I spoke with him this morning. As we know, he was unwell recently, but happily is on the mend and is under doctor's orders. He is watching this on television and is here in spirit.

The best stories I have about Rory would not be allowed to be told under Standing Orders. They are numerous. His GAA connections proved very useful when it came to All-Ireland tickets, which were eagerly sought by Seanad voters. Rory pulled some great strokes and his rivalry with another great GAA Seanadóir from the Border area was something else.