Kieran O'Donnell (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to welcome Rory's family and I acknowledge the large Fianna Fáil presence and the Progressive Democrats presence here today. I got to know Rory very well as he is from Feenagh, and people would know I spent my childhood in Charleville. We both went to the same secondary school, as did Eamon de Valera, which has been commemorated in the town. Rory was an institution in his lifetime. He was universally liked. I always found him a very deep man, hugely knowledgeable about politics, and he epitomised all that is good about Limerick. His interests were politics, horse racing and the GAA. I want to particularly acknowledge the presence of the Limerick county board chairman, John Cregan, who was a near neighbour of Rory's and would have come up through the same channels, and would have gone into the county board position a short time prior to Rory's passing. The GAA was a great passion with Rory.

When I met him first, he was a model of brevity and always picked the appropriate words. I remember he turned to me and said, "Kieran, remember the power of the transfer." When he first ran for the Seanad, he did very well but to survive initially, he needed the percentages. Rory was the great artist in that area. He understood what politics was about. He was quite sophisticated in his understanding, a great judge of people, passionate about Limerick GAA and, obviously, the fact Limerick won the all-Ireland a short time after his passing clearly meant he was looking down on us.

I am delighted to be here to pay tribute to Rory. The fact there is such an enormous turnout is a tribute to him. I want to take the opportunity to welcome Brian Cowen's wife, Mary, and his brother, Deputy Barry Cowen, and to wish Brian a speedy recovery. I want to put on record that although Rory was well known outside of Limerick, he was a legend in Limerick itself. He commanded respect and affection. Reference was made to Sinn Féin. I have no doubt he got many votes across the spectrum. That is what Rory Kiely was about. I wish his family well. He was a man of his time and he left an indelible mark at national level but more particularly at Limerick level.