Unfortunately since we met last a former Member of Seanad Éireann has died, the late Willie Ryan. I will call the Leader of the House to offer his sympathy and then one Member from each group.
Death of Former Member: Expression of Sympathy.
I propose a vote of sympathy on the death of our esteemed former colleague, Willie Ryan. He was a highly respected Senator. He was 28 years in this House — from 1961 until his retirement in August 1989. He was a man of integrity and character who was held in the highest regard by all sides of the House. He was dedicated to Seanad Éireann and the parliamentary process. As Government Chief Whip he was always extremely courteous and helpful. Those who tried to overstretch the pairing arrangements will remember that he could say no politely and firmly.
Proof of his ability and dedication is evidenced by the number of positions of responsibility he held in his long number of years in politics. He represented his country as a member of the Council of Europe for seven years and was elected Vice-President of that assembly. He was a member of Tipperary South Riding County Council for over 30 years and was elected chairman of that authority in 1985. He was joint honorary secretary of Fianna Fáil for over ten years. Willie Ryan served this House, the Fianna Fáil Party and his county with great distinction.
It is only appropriate that this House should pass a vote of sympathy to his wife Peggy, his niece Majella and his sisters Mary and Philomena. I ask the House to pay its respects today.
On behalf of Fine Gael I would like to be associated with the vote of sympathy to the family of the late Willie Ryan. I first met him on my first day in the Seanad in 1981. On that day I was appointed Government Chief Whip; promotion came rather more easily then than it does now. Willie Ryan was my opposite number on the Opposition. As a brash and raw new Senator who had the job of being Whip, I could have made many mistakes and caused great embarrassment to the Government but Willie Ryan was always the soul of helpfulness and courtesy. As the Leader of the House has said, he was also a Senator of great integrity. When Willie Ryan gave his word, that was his bond.
Willie Ryan loved this House and made a significant contribution to its working over a long period. Leaders came and leaders went but Willie Ryan kept on running the Fianna Fáil Group and most of the House during much of that time. I can still almost see him sitting in the Whip's seat advising and encouraging the Leader of the day and also vetoing matters that might not be in the best interests of the House.
He was proud to be a member of Fianna Fáil; he had a great sense of Fianna Fáil and was very much associated with the best qualities of that party, especially the traditional qualities. He served every Leader of Fianna Fáil with total loyalty and effectiveness, and very quietly. As Senator Wright said, he also had a great love of his native County Tipperary and of the history of the area he came from. At the time of his death, he was working on a history of his local parish.
Personally, I will miss Willie Ryan most as a friend. Over the years I was here with him, I had the opportunity to get to know him well. I visited him shortly before he died and he was still the same Willie Ryan, with his dry sense of humour and laconic wit, his great wisdom and understanding and love of all matters political. All of us in this House will miss him.
On behalf of my party, I extend my sympathy to the party Willie Ryan served so well over many years and to his family, who will miss him greatly.
On behalf of the Independent group, I wish to be associated with the sentiments expressed by the two previous speakers. We worked with Willie Ryan during his period in the Seanad. He was the Whip in the early stages of my tenure in this House. The role of Whip, especially that of Government Whip, is always a difficult one. I always found him to be a most gentle, tolerant and refined man. When working with him, one's respect for him grew. Nothing annoyed or upset him more than having a Department undermine a commitment which he had honestly given to Whips from the other side of the House. Similarly, nothing gave him more pleasure than a close vote where Members of his own party had not shown up but he still won. This gave him the moral high ground to tear strips off those people in his own quiet way.
He was a lovely man. I spoke to him some months back and he was still interested in the workings of the current Seanad. He asked how old Members were doing and how new Members were fitting in. He never lost his interest in politics right to the end. He was a quiet man, and loved for it.
On behalf of the Labour Party, I also wish to be associated with the vote of sympathy on the death of the late Willie Ryan. Unlike the previous speakers, I did not serve in the Seanad with him but I knew and heard about him. Being from a neighbouring county, I was familiar with his love of County Tipperary. Although we might have opposed each other at times in Thurles and other places, as a fellow Munster person, I appreciated him and his service to this House for many years.
On behalf of the Progressive Democrats, I also wish to be associated with the vote of sympathy on the death of the late Willie Ryan. As a fellow Tipperary person, I remember being introduced to him as a young girl by my uncle. At that time, I never expected to be sitting in this House supporting a vote of sympathy on his death. My uncle always spoke of him as a man of the highest integrity and honesty. The respect and regard in which he was held by Fianna Fáil was well deserved. I would like to be associated with the vote of sympathy to the Fianna Fáil Party and his wife and family.
I too would like to be associated with the message of condolence to the widow and relatives of the late Willie Ryan. I did not have the experience of working with him in the Seanad but because he was from a neighbouring county, one was wont to meet him frequently. I always found him friendly and I have no doubt he left his mark on the Irish political scene.
I wish to add my personal tribute to Willie Ryan. I knew him very well, he was indeed a fine man. This day 12 months ago, he was in this House at the count until 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. This highlights the point Senator Manning made — although he was no longer a Member of this House he was still interested in what was happening.
I ask the Members to stand and say a prayer.
Members rose in their places.