Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

My words will be brief, following on from the excellent and well-deserved tributes from my colleagues, Senators McGahon and O'Sullivan. I would also like, on behalf of my group, and personally, to extend my sympathies to Aileen and all the family. I, too, had the privilege of serving alongside Terry during that term from 2011 to 2016. In rising to pay tribute to a person whom I got to like very much, I am also paying tribute to him on behalf of another family member who served during that term, my first cousin, former Senator Michael Mullins of the Fine Gael Party, who had great affection and respect for Terry and, like myself, was sorry to learn of his passing. Michael sends his sympathy to the family and he is sorry he cannot be here.

There is not much I can add to what has already been said about Terry except to say I was planning to observe that if he has the same vantage point in heaven on us here that he appeared to have on the golf at Augusta on several occasions, then we have a good intercessor in a high place. I was also aware of his political ecumenism and his friendship with former Councillor Savage, who I am glad to see here. My memory of him is of those social times when, after the business was done here, we would find ourselves in the Leinster House Member's Restaurant, for example, for a bite to eat and so on. I was always taken by his clubbability, his friendly nature and his interest in conversation. You could easily see he had the gift of and for friendship, and that is a gift all of us are blessed to have if we have it.