Tom Clonan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate my cousin Senator Norris on his resignation, which took us all by surprise for all of the reasons set out here. I also want to mention Senator Ó Donnghaile and wish him and his family well.

Senator Norris has been a great inspiration for me. I remember back in the mid-1980s as a student in Trinity College - before the development of Temple Bar, when the city centre was a dark place - encountering him in a horse and carriage going up Dame Street. He was shouting out the door "roll up for the Bram Stoker weekend in Trinity College" so he was always a bright light in what was at times a dark horizon and he certainly inspired me in my fight. I have had my experience of adversity. I have seen where our ideas may fall on sterile ground and as somebody said, where you find yourself among briars but certainly Senator Norris has always been a great inspiration for me. In 2016, I decided with my son Eoghan, who is a wheelchair user and is well known to all Senators, to run for election. I thought that as a courtesy I should tell Senator Norris. I entertained the foolish, naive and forlorn idea that maybe he would say "oh well, I'll hand over to you" and he would give me an endorsement so I rang him and told him that I was going to run on the Trinity panel. He said "oh well, that's marvellous news" and then he said "however, you will fail". He was correct. In saying that, he went on to elaborate and to tell me that you have to try. He quoted Beckett: "Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better". His generosity over the years, his mentoring spirit and his friendship have been very generous in that regard.

Finally I wish to mention Miriam Smith because in all the years of contact I have had with Senator Norris and his support for us and for Eoghan getting into St. Andrew's College, which was an act of great generosity, she has been a wonderful person. Finally, I will quote James Joyce:

The time had come for him to set out on his journey westward. Yes, the newspapers were right: snow was general all over Ireland.

I know there will be sadness all over Ireland. Ní bheidh do leithéid arís ann. Go well and enjoy many years of happy retirement.