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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 25 Jul 1996

Vol. 468 No. 4

Retirement of Captain of the Guard.

With your permission, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, I would be grateful, as we did not realise this was the last sitting day before the retirement of the Captain of the Guard, Commandant Cathal Ó Laoghaire, if we could interrupt proceedings briefly so that the Members of the House who worked with him since he came here in April 1977 — I remember it well — could pay tribute to him to mark his imminent retirement.

Commandant Ó Laoghaire served this House very well. He managed the affairs of the House, looked after the security of Members and staff with all the care one would expect of someone who has given distinguished service to this State in the national army. He served in the Defence Forces for 25 years; in the first Irish Army contingent he served in the Congo, he served twice in Cyprus, in the Middle East as a company commander and was assistant officer commanding the military defences at Government Buildings prior to his appointment as Captain of the Guard. Prior to all that he had a very distinguished career in another capacity. He was a member of the Dublin All-Ireland winning team of 1958 and is the holder of six Leinster championship medals. Those were the days when Dublin could count on winning championships regularly.

Watch out, we will be back.

I hope they will not do anything untoward next Sunday. Cathal also won four Railway Cup medals. He has not ceased to be an athlete. I believe he is the niftiest golfer in the House and I have no doubt he will continue to join Members of the Oireachtas golfing society on their outings in the future.

The last 19 years have been an eventful phase in the life of this House. Commandant Cathal Ó Laoghaire was here during very tense moments when he was able to help defuse many a difficult situation.

I also recollect, though some of the more well behaved Members of this House will not have had this experience, the tact with which the Captain of the Guard advised us it was time to close the bar in Leinster House. That was also one of his responsibilities. I wish Commandant Cathal Ó Laoghaire a very happy and, I have no doubt, an active retirement. I thank him for the service he has given to the House and to the State through the military career.

I join the Taoiseach in paying tribute to Commandant Cathal Ó Laoghaire. I am used to seeing him in the House and it is always sad when someone who has been here for many years retires. Cathal Ó Laoghaire was always here. Those of us who have been in Government over the years had a few words with him every day. He was a good friend and adviser in the House, particularly in the early years when people are not anxious to let you in on secrets. They all say they will help but it does not work in practice. You have to depend on Members for advice and knowledge but Cathal Ó Laoghaire was always helpful to me.

The Taoiseach outlined his many distinguished careers before he came to work here: his distinguished military career abroad and his great sporting career which he still maintains. He will probably have more time to have his handicap cut over the years. He is among the skilled golfers of this House. I am not sure how Members and those who work here manage to be such good golfers. As somebody who knows very little about golf I will try to find out about it in my later years. I appreciate all that Cathal has done for members of the Fianna Fáil Party over the years and the concern he has shown for Members of the House. He had to put his foot down now and again about various rules but we have never had too many arguments or rows when I was Whip or otherwise. I always found Cathal approachable and I wish him, his family and all his friends well. I hope he enjoys a long period of active retirement. Being a former member of the Dubs all those years ago ensures he will be fit for many years to come. I wish some of the present team were as fit. He is probably one of the fastest individuals we ever had on a Dublin field.

Another member of the Staff, Dermot McCarthy, is also retiring after almost 30 years' service and I wish him well.

I wish to be associated with the tributes to the Captain of the Guard, Commandant Cathal Ó Laoghaire, on his impending retirement. I thank him for his services here and for his great courtesy to Members at all times. I wish him well in his retirement and envy him the opportunity to play golf seven days a week, if he wants to. I am sure his many successes over the years will be multiplied by the fact that he is retired. I hope his memories of this House will be pleasant and even if he had a little too much excitement at times that, overall, he found it a pleasant and interesting experience.

Thank you for allowing the tributes.

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