Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 28 Jun 2001

Vol. 539 No. 3

Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy.

Mr. Quinn:

It is hard to think that Michael Moynihan is no longer with us. He was an extraordinary man. As the House will know, he died early yesterday morning having been ill for some time. I had the honour to be with him on Monday morning when I visited Killarney to preside over the selection convention for his daughter, Deputy Breda Moynihan-Cronin. When she called me she said he hung on until the end to make sure that the convention would go well and that everything would be right.

Michael Moynihan was a giant of a man, in stature and in strength, in compassion and commitment and in his unrelenting dedication to the service of the people of his beloved south Kerry. To many in this House, he was an extraordinary man of strength and tenacity. He first stood for election in 1954 and thereafter in 1957, 1961 and 1965. He narrowly lost a by-election in 1966 and understandably stepped aside in 1969. He fought again in 1973 and did not succeed in being elected to this House until 1981. Having heard that, this House will know the strength and tenacity of his determination to serve the people of south Kerry. Mike Moynihan, as he was known in his native Kerry, built the Labour Party around the Labour movement in that part of the country. At the selection convention one of his long-time comrades, Pat O'Leary, spoke of how he organised the workers in the small creameries characteristic of agriculture during the 1940s and 1950s. They were on their knees and forced to work six and a half days a week with no over-time, holiday pay or any of the benefits we now take for granted. All of those things had to be wrung from farmers who, in their conservatism, denounced him as a dangerous communist radical who would upset the order of the entire country, let alone the profits and balance sheets of their beloved creameries. He won through and gained the respect and affection of his people.

Had he been allowed to serve on the county council, a right denied him as a psychiatric nurse until the establishment of the health boards meant he was no longer technically an employee of the council, he would doubtless have entered this House sooner. Following his arrival in this House he was appointed Minister of State with responsibility for tourism. Anybody who worked with him, or learned of and saw his dedication in promoting the interests of Kerry, will agree that he was a wonderful man.

To his wife, Mai, his constant companion, political associate and tireless worker, I extend our deepest sympathies. To his two daughters, Catherine and Breeda, and his three sons, Maurice, John and Mike, on behalf of the Labour Party, we also extend our deepest condolences. We offer heartfelt thanks for a life of service, selflessly given in the interests of the people of Kerry who loved him so much and whom he loved equally.

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Ms Harney):

On behalf of the Government and on my own behalf I extend my sympathy to the family of the late Michael Moynihan. He was, as Deputy Quinn said, a distinguished Member of this House and he died yesterday morning after a long illness. I also express my sympathy to the Labour Party of which Michael Moynihan was such a valued member for many years.

Michael Moynihan had a long career in local and national politics, both as a Member of the Seanad and the Dáil. He was also a Minister of State for tourism. He served in the Dáil from 1981 to 1987 and from 1989 to 1992. He was extremely proud of his native Kerry and he was well qualified, therefore, to become a Minister of State at the Department of Trade, Commerce and Tourism and to be allowed to extol the virtues of the Kingdom, which he did with great relish. Michael Moynihan battled hard for his constituents, often in very difficult circumstances, and he typified all that is good about public service. His daughter, Breeda, now represents the same constituency and she has carried on the tradition of service he exemplified so well. I extend my sympathies to her and to her mother, Mai, her sister Catherine and her brothers, Maurice, Michael and John. Kerry, the Labour Party and Irish politics have lost a valued and much loved person in Michael Moynihan. May he rest in peace.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (Mr. Walsh):

I extend sympathy on my behalf, on behalf of Fianna Fáil and on behalf of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, a constituency colleague of the late Michael Moynihan who is unable to be here due to a prior commitment in Belfast, to Mai Moynihan, widow of the late Michael Moynihan and to our colleague, Deputy Breeda Moynihan-Cronin, on the death of her father.

I knew Michael Moynihan very well. It has been said that he was a man of considerable stature and substance. He was a scion of a man that was typical of rural Deputies of that era: a grámhar man of tremendous integrity and commitment to his constituency. He was well loved by his constituents and he typified many people who expend considerable effort in seeking public office and election to the Dáil. After many attempts he finally made in 1981. That was a short term but he continued and was re-elected on a number of occasions. He was also a Member of the Seanad for many years. He was Minister of State with responsibility for tourism and always gave a very good image of Ireland and particularly his beloved Kerry and Killarney in that capacity. I extend my sympathy and that of the Fianna Fáil Party to his wife, Mai, his sons, Maurice, Michael and John and his daughters, Catherine and our colleague, Breeda. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam uasal.

Mr. J. Mitchell:

It was a great privilege for me to serve here with the late Michael Moynihan and to serve in Government with him in the 1980s. He was a big man in every sense of the word and he was a public servant in every sense also. Long before he was elected to the Dáil he had been giving distinguished service by way of his trade union activities for many years. He was typical of a brand of people who helped to build up this country from very difficult times in the 1920s and who contributed in no small way to our economic success. He was a man of great courtesy and charm and we were all privileged to serve with him.

He was a contemporary of Dan Spring rather than Dick Spring and Dan Spring was another big man from Kerry. Michael Moynihan and Dan Spring upheld Labour principles in north and south Kerry for many years but Michael Moynihan had to wait many years before he was elected. He was elected with Dick Spring in 1981. As we mark his passing, I can honestly say it was a privilege to know him and to serve with him. He will be a big loss to the people of Kerry and the Labour Party and in particular to his wife, Mai, and his sons and daughters. It is lucky for the House that his daughter continues to give that public service which he so greatly exemplified.

Mr. Sargent:

On behalf of the Green Party, An Comhaontas Glas, I also wish to extend sincere sympathy to the family of the late Michael Moynihan and to the Labour Party on the loss of a heroic member. Michael Moynihan will be known to many Members as someone who typified what is known in politics as hard graft. He worked tenaciously from a position in which it was difficult to imagine a Labour Deputy in his area to one where it is expected that there ought to be a Labour Deputy. That is an achievement which demands enormous respect and will be remembered.

I spoke to colleagues in the Killarney area this morning and he will be remembered mostly as an approachable, friendly person who was a gentleman. He will also be remembered in the Killarney area as being the father of Killarney UDC for many years. He was a fatherly figure in every sense of the word. When the Green Party won its first local authority seat in 1985 on Killarney UDC with the youngest member at that time, 23 year old Marcus Counihan, it was Michael Moynihan, the supportive father figure of the UDC, who made the new member welcome. That showed how politics could be compassionate as well as hard-fought. During the co-option when Marcus Counihan had to resign from the UDC, Michael Moynihan was determined that the integrity of the seat would stay with the Green Party in the face of self-serving people who argued with him. Michael Moynihan will stand as a person of integrity among all parties because of his stand at that time.

He will also be remembered as someone who set an example on how to bridge the differences of opinion between town and country. In his beloved Kerry there are many people who will remember him as a neighbour and friend regardless of their background or political viewpoints. He was well regarded in both Gaeltacht and Galltacht, in town and country, and few politicians can demand that kind of common appeal and love. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam uasal.

Mr. Deenihan:

On behalf of the Fine Gael Party in Kerry I would like to join in the tributes to the former Deputy Michael Moynihan, who was a very close personal friend of mine since I entered politics. He was a true gentleman of Irish politics. He never indulged in personalised attacks and as a result he was respected by members of all parties in south Kerry. He served his party with rare commitment and determi nation. This was exemplified in the number of times he was prepared to seek election to the Dáil before eventually prevailing. He probably would have held the record for the number of times he ran for election before succeeding and he succeeded because he was a great worker. He was a man of the people and for the people and he was respected by people all classes in south Kerry.

He gave unselfish commitment to his people and at all times put them first. I join with other Members in expressing my sympathies to Breeda and the rest of the Moynihan family. It is a great loss for them but they can look on him as someone who served his people well at all times and who put their interests first.

Members rose.