Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is always good to see young people from the schools. I have a school in from my own region, in Dangan, Kilmore, County Roscommon, today. The ushers of this House do a wonderful job with all our schools, giving fantastic tours with enthusiasm. They are lovely people who go out of their way to help everybody. I know all the schools feel the same because they tell me. I say “Well done” to them and all of their colleagues for the way they treat all of the people coming in and the schools. I appreciate the way they do it.

I will digress a bit and perhaps people will understand. Yesterday was a sad day. As somebody who was involved in the radio business for 20 years and the music business, I was saddened by the passing of Christy Dignam. I followed Christy Dignam’s life very closely all along. I met him once or twice. His music was fascinating and his way with words was outstanding. Christy Dignam was a caring person. He fought hard to survive in this world when he was struck down with cancer. If one listens to his interviews, he did not want to leave his wife, daughter and immediate friends. He fought so hard to survive and, sadly for him, it has come to an end. However, he left a wonderful legacy. I ask everybody, even the younger people, to at some time, at this stage of their life or when they get older, to look up Christy Dignam and his music and look at the words. There is one song in particular that will be as popular in 200 years’ time as it is today, namely, “Crazy World”. That song will be used over and over again. It will be used because it is a crazy world now and probably will be into the future as well. We lost a lovely human being who was very open about the ups and downs of his life. We all have our ups and downs in life. His drug addiction was a huge issue for him but he managed to take himself out of it. He spoke openly about it and tried to talk to people who had the addiction to try to help them along them road. We lost a wonderful human being and wonderful musician. We lost a man who had a wonderful way with words and, most of all, a man who cared for his community and his people. I met some people who work in the House who were neighbours of his. He was fondly got with all of his neighbours. He was an ordinary person. He was a man who had beliefs. He believed there was something else beyond this world. He was a man who brought happiness not alone to many Irish people but to people across the world. I wish Christy a fond farewell. May he rest in peace. And yes, Christy, it will always be a crazy world.