David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I forgot that the Cathaoirleach is good-humoured as well.

I join in the expressions of sadness on the death of Paul Anthony McDermott.He was an incisive, informative commentator on legal matters. He had a very distinctive voice. He died at the very early age of 47.

Since we are in the business of paying tributes, I would like to mention briefly the late Professor John Gilmartin. He was a most refined, elegant man who gave his life in very large part to helping to preserve Georgian architecture.

Finally, I wish to mention a rather curious person, the late Randal MacDonnell. I read his obituary, reprinted from The Telegraph, with a degree of sadness. He was a Walter Mitty figure. I remember him parading himself as Lord of the Isles until I pointed out that that title had been extinguished and absorbed by the title Prince of Wales after the Highland rebellion of 1745. He then described himself as MacDonnell of the Glens, which came as a bit of a surprise to the Earl of Antrim, whose title is actually that. I remember Randal parachuting from a helicopter, wearing a kilt and no underwear, into the college races at Trinity, somewhat to the surprise of Mr. Éamon de Valera. I would like to think Mr. de Valera's defective eyesight meant he did not catch a glimpse of the undercarriage as it floated earthwards. Randal could be charming despite his Walter Mitty character. I was sad to learn that he died in a one-room hovel in Tangier and that there was not enough money left to bury him. That is a sad, but perhaps appropriate, end to a very colourful career. I know he would have been really thrilled to get practically half a page of an obituary from The Telegraph. I would like to think he would also be pleased that he was mentioned on the record in Seanad Éireann today.