David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have come to the House today to say a few words in memory of my old friend and colleague, the late Senator John A. Murphy, who died at the astonishing age of 95. John was always so youthful intellectually that it was difficult to believe he had achieved the age of 95. He was an awkward bugger. I remember when I once had a motion down - I cannot remember what it was about - and I was giving two minutes and two minutes to different people to speak. John came up to me and said, "Can I have two minutes to speak on your motion?" I told him, "Of course you can, I welcome anybody speaking in favour of my motion".He said, " Oh I'm not speaking in favour I'm speaking against it." That was him. He was an absolute contrarian.

John A. Murphy was in the Seanad from 1977 to 1992 and he was a remarkable contributor. John was named Cork person of the year. I have just come back from Cork. It is a remarkable place and to be made a Cork person of the year is some accolade. John was also a fantastic singer. I remember him singing in Áras an Uachtaráin. I cannot recall the song but it was some quite ordinary song which he sang in six or seven different languages. John was quite a polymath. He was also quite a distinguished author. He wrote a history of University College Cork, The College: The History of Queens' University College Cork. John was a native of Macroom, and was very proud to be a Macrumpian. He also wrote a very important book called Ireland in the Twentieth Century.

John could be awkward and he had particular ideas about the Proclamation. I shared his ideas about the Proclamation, and particularly where they talk about "our gallant allies". The gallant ally was the Kaiser. People forget that. People were pledging allegiance to the Kaiser in the middle of the First World War, but there we are.

John was, I think and I hope, unforgettable. I was proud to have him as a friend and colleague in this House. We do miss him. As we say as Gaeilge, ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.