Aidan Davitt (Fianna Fail)

I welcome Billy's wife and family. I met Clodagh in the Dearborn previously. She is with us here, as is former Senator Marshall, Deputy Connolly and Councillor Anna Grainger.

On the hospitality of the family, I was lucky enough to go to Chicago and enjoy a lot of their establishments when I was there. Billy had asked me on several occasions and I said I would take him up on it on a particular Paddy's Day, which I did. I was delighted I did and had a great experience. The thing that I remember most was the hospitality, the genuine decent person Billy was and the values he passed down to his family. They went out of their way and above and beyond to make you feel at home in Chicago.

The abiding memory I will have of Billy is being in the bar late one evening when an all-Ireland final was coming up. Billy had his couple of tickets through various connections in Galway and whatever else. A Limerick man had been there not long before telling me he could not get a ticket for a family member and all the usual you listen to. He probably knew I was involved in the GAA but I did not say much. Billy came in, we had a bit to eat and I told Billy the story. Anyway, a couple of weeks passed and I met the same Limerick guy in the bar. I asked if he got the ticket. He said he got two tickets at the last minute. I asked him how he came across them. He said I would never believe it, but Billy Lawless rang him, said he heard he was stuck for tickets and asked whether the ticket was for him. The man told Billy he had given his tickets away to a good supporter he had to give them to, and did not have a ticket to go. He said that Billy gave him two tickets to go to the all-Ireland final. He nearly cried in telling me. That is my lasting memory of Billy. It is a fitting one for a man who would give you the shirt off his back.