As referred to by the Taoiseach earlier, before moving on to the Order of Business it would be appropriate if the House marked the sudden passing over the weekend of Michael O'Regan. Michael started his career with The Kerryman. He became a Dáil reporter in 1988 and wrote about politics for The Irish Times for 30 years. More recently, he worked for Radio Kerry. He was one of our pre-eminent and much-loved political journalists. He was renowned for his meticulous research, encyclopaedic knowledge and innate sense of decency and fairness. He covered some of the most momentous events of our time. Many people, including fellow journalists, benefited over the years from his wisdom, kindness and great sense of humour. May I take this opportunity to extend the sympathies of all Members present to his family, his colleagues and his many friends. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis. We will stand for a minute's silence.
Death of Michael O'Regan: Expressions of Sympathy
On behalf of the army of followers of Michael O'Regan's morning slot on a Friday, we express our heartfelt sympathies to his family, friends and colleagues. His voice on Radio Kerry on a Friday morning along with Jerry O'Sullivan was one of the most sought-after political events in Kerry.
I want to remind people in this House that Michael O'Regan, Brian Cowen, the late Brian Lenihan, the late Jackie Healy-Rae, my sister Rosemary and a number of other people used to discuss the politics of Kerry, Ireland and indeed the world, on a Wednesday night.
His voice will be remembered forever. He was an authoritative figure. When Michael O'Regan spoke, people listened to what he had to say. So many people have told me over the past number of days that they are devastated that they will not hear his beautiful voice on Radio Kerry anymore.
When my late father died, he came to Kerry for three days and three nights and in his own words to me at the time, he said, "Do you know, Michael, I wouldn't want anybody else to be reporting on it?". He said that because he knew my father better than anybody else. He was the authoritative man to report on his funeral, and he did so in a very respectful way that we all appreciated.
He will be remembered forever. He was a tower of strength, a fine cut of a man. He was taken from us too soon. He and Jerry O'Sullivan, his close friend on Radio Kerry, were two intertwined people. Many was the good debate they had on Radio Kerry. I really mean it when I say he will be missed forever by an awful lot of people. May he rest in peace.
I know that he is above in heaven and he is reporting on what is happening above in heaven and maybe in other quarters below. He will be giving reports above as well. He will keep them all going anyway in the future. God bless him and God be good to him.
I am humbled to get to say a few words about Michael O'Regan. First of all, I want to pass my condolences to his family and, indeed, to all of his friends and colleagues and all the people who admired him for almost 30 years on Kerry radio.
In the past few nights, I have been around different parts of the county and everyone is so saddened by his passing. He was a giant among journalists. His interpretation and analysis of what was going on politically was listened to and adhered to because people believed in him. He was honest. He had his homework done.
He had amassed a vast amount of political knowledge going back to the foundation of the State. He knew where everyone came from and what they started out in. He knew where the political clout really lies at all times. He knew, as he used to say, "the corridors of power" and he always reported what was going on there. This world will be a lesser place for his departure.
I, too, want to acknowledge his visit to Kilgarvan on the death of my father because he was there for the three days. We looked up to him before that, but we are looking up to him since and we will be looking up to him forever.
As has been said, he may be gone but his voice will live on. As I say, he was one of the best Kerrymen who ever came out of Kerry. We are so proud of him. We are so proud to have known him. We thank him for the massive amount of work that he put in in amassing the knowledge that he had about political life in Kerry and in Ireland, and maybe far beyond.
I also would like to be associated with the words of sympathy to the late Michael O'Regan's family and, indeed, to his colleagues in The Irish Times, his family in Radio Kerry and the constituency of Kerry.
Michael was much revered, much respected and, indeed, I would say, much loved, particularly in Kerry but, I would feel, far beyond. He was the consummate journalist. He was well researched, well informed and he was impartial. He was incredibly fair.
He was a man who was immensely and immeasurably proud of his Kerry credentials and he wore them very much on his sleeve. He certainly carried all things Kerry in his heart and, indeed, in his voice. He had a particularly strong beautiful Kerry accent and all of us who heard it, whether on national radio, national media or whatever, were elevated all the more to think that one of our own was doing so well and had such a distinguished career in the world of journalism.
We will miss him greatly in Kerry. He was a great professional in his chosen profession of journalism. More than that, however, he was an honourable and decent man. As already stated, he was very fair and impartial. He was also generous in his time for others and was considerate of others. There is an expression, "We will not see his like again", and I am very confident of that.
I extend my sympathy to all who knew him and all who loved him. He is gone too soon but his legacy is rich. It was a privilege for all of us who knew him and who spent time with him to be afforded that opportunity. We are the lesser for his passing but greater for having had the privilege of knowing him. May he rest in peace.