Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the father of the House. Senator David Norris is, of course, a man we all admire, although not necessarily a man we all agree with all the time. While we differ on many things, and while I know he is a Joycean scholar, at one stage in his long political career he quoted the great Samuel Beckett with regard to being relentless and tenacious, a point also referred to by the former Cathaoirleach, Senator O’Donovan. Beckett said: “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” Many of us in this House have tried and failed and then tried again. Due to relentless campaigning on behalf of many, the Members of the Seanad have been chosen to represent the public and the people of this nation.

I begin by paying tribute to the front-line workers who gave of their time and of their lives, and sacrificed so much to save so many lives during the pandemic which we are still enduring. I pay tribute, as Senator Norris did, to the former Government and all its Ministers. Even my mother praised the former Taoiseach, Deputy Leo Varadkar, which is high praise indeed, and she also praised the Minister, Deputy Simon Harris.

I also pay tribute to Senator Denis O'Donovan, the former Cathaoirleach, who seconded me. I had the great honour, four years ago, of being the deputy leader of our group and of being allowed to second him. He outlined his long service to the State and, for that, on behalf of all the Members of the Seanad but also the people of Cork, I would like to thank him for his long service to Ireland and to his community. Senator Lisa Chambers, as leader of our group, proposed me, and I want to thank her. It is a long time since we first met, which was at a public meeting in Castlebar. It was not really a canvas because, at the time, she did not have a vote, but hope sprung eternal.

The Minister, Deputy Norma Foley, when she proposed Deputy Micheál Martin for Taoiseach, said that being from Kerry is a privilege and an awesome responsibility. She, of course, was quoting that great Kerryman, John B. Keane, the man of letters, of great plays and of great stories about great truths as well. That truth is beholden on us all in that we all bear a huge responsibility in being Members of Seanad Éireann, being involved in public life and representing the people of this country. That awesome responsibility is part of the idea of opening up the Seanad to new ideas, new possibilities and new opportunities. I would like to hear the ideas of Members on how we can do things better to serve all the people, bringing in not just groups and organisations, but the individuals who are impacted by the decisions we make and the decisions we fail to make, and we must look at both of those. I discussed this earlier with a colleague for whom I have great admiration, Senator Ivana Bacik. Please God, when we go back to the old Seanad Chamber we will be able to admire the Waterford crystal chandeliers as her grandfather, who came over from the Czech Republic, was involved in the founding of Waterford Crystal.

We stand on the shoulders of giants. Today, we remember all those who have gone before us and who have served in this House, people like Senator Higgins's father and W.B. Yeats, as well as the many others who have served in Seanad Éireann and done their communities and the Seanad proud in their work.

We remember, of course, the people who have gone before us, like my grandmothers, Margaret and Eileen. I come from a mixed marriage and this historic coalition is part of that mixed marriage. My grandfather, Charlie Daly, fought in the War of Independence and in the Civil War on the Republican side. On the other side of the family, my grandfather, James O'Connor’s brother fought on the Free State side and died too soon. We think of this historic occasion and the people who have gone before. The last safe house my cousin on my grandfather's side, Commandant General Charlie Daly, was in before he was captured during the Civil War was in Niall Blaney's home place in Donegal. Harry Blaney, who has gone to his eternal reward, showed me the steps on the stairs where his boots were when the Free State soldiers were coming up the road and he had to make his escape. That was the last safe house he was in. He was one of the 77. While we remember those tragedies, we remember in that context the words of John F. Kennedy, when he addressed Dáil Éireann in 1963. He said “...we need not feel the bitterness of the past to discover its meaning for the present and the future." What this Chamber is about, and what this historic Government is about, is the future. Hopefully, we can build that future together. I will wrap up because Members have had a long day. We have a long journey ahead together and, hopefully, we will make this House work for all the people.

We all have moments when we think about giving up. I remember in 2006 lying there thinking, “You know what, I will give up on this Seanad race”. Senator Denis O'Donovan is right about a fellow running in a Seanad campaign who generally did not know what he was doing in 2006. I consulted widely and I learned a lot, but I was giving up. This was not going to work; it was undoable. I decided I would make one call and I made that call to Breandán Mac Gearailt, a Fianna Fáil councillor in Dingle. He did not particularly know me, although I had met him a couple of times, but he had run for the Seanad. I told him, “I am Mark Daly from Kenmare and I wonder if you can help me as I am thinking of running for the Seanad.” He told me to call down to him. It is an hour and 45 minutes to Breandán’s house from Kenmare and it was the best hour and 45 minutes I ever spent. I arrived around lunchtime and we had a cup of tea, then lunch, then more tea and more discussion, and we then had dinner. I do not know whether it was just to get rid of me or just to give me hope, but he said, “What is the worst that could happen? If you do not run, you will never know. If you run, you might lose, but you should try.” Thankfully, it did not befall me as Samuel Beckett had said. I did not try and fail better. Instead, I managed to succeed. I succeeded because of the shoulders of giants, namely, my father Seán and mother Eileen, my brothers Conor and John, my sister Elaine and my campaign team.It is very important to have a strong campaign team. My team has been with me since 2007 and has grown at every election. It has stopped at nine members. My nieces and nephews - Cara, Caoimhe, Clionadh, Cillian, Dylan, Sean, Lucy, Yvonne and Ruairi - have been outstanding. Sometimes they are not too enthusiastic but they are always there to eat the pizza, stuff the envelopes and do what needs to be done. Finally, in addition to my family, I thank Grace Coyle who has worked relentlessly for me and who will work hard for all of the Senators, as will I. I thank the Seanad for this great honour.

Would the father of the House, Senator Norris, like to say something?