Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There is one small matter to address before we begin this very important and poignant session. I welcome our colleague, Senator Clonan, and his colleagues from Technological University Dublin to the Gallery. It is great to have them with us.

I will begin by joining with the Cathaoirleach, colleagues who are in the House now and those who had to depart for other business in welcoming Aileen, Tanya, David and Bobby, who is with us online through the marvels of modern technology, to the House. I also welcome to the Gallery: the former councillor, Peter Savage; our former colleague, Brian Walsh, who was a very good friend of the former Senator, Terry Brennan; Deputy Carey, who was also a very close friend; and Councillor Anna Grainger, another friend of the late Senator.

Terry spent five years as a Member of this House from 2011 to 2016, having been elected to the Seanad on the labour panel in April 2011. He as a member of Louth County Council from 1985 until 2011, representing the Dundalk-Carlingford area. The former Senator's very dear friend, and a friend of the family for years, is going to speak in a moment. I will not intrude on that speech other than to say that Terry was an extraordinarily hard-working public representative. He was legendary in County Louth for his work and his dedication to constituents and communities. He was a highly respected and hard-working member of Louth County Council. It was a great privilege to have served here at the same time as him. His affability and conviviality were legendary and his patriotism, integrity and commitment to the national good were supreme and the predominant themes of his life. I could talk about Terry for an hour. Every one of us could. However, it would be inappropriate for me to do so now. It is more appropriate for me to call on a lifelong family friend whose family was bonded with the former Senator's for years, Senator McGahon, to say what we all want said.