The former Senator Prendergast died yesterday in Melbourne, Australia. He was 77 years old. I offer my sincere sympathy and that of Fine Gael to his wife Barbara, his son Seán and his daughters Siobhán, Anne-Marie, Caitríona, Ciara, Michelle and Marie-Therese at this sad time in their lives.
It is many years since Micheál graced the portals of this Chamber. He was a Member of this House from 1954 to 1974. Those who remember him will recall his great charisma and humour. His contribution was widespread and was mainly on agricultural matters. In his maiden speech he spoke about the eradication of bovine TB. He could not have been a happy man about the way that developed. Micheál chided the Minister for Agriculture at the time, James Dillon, for saying it would take 20 years to rid the island of the scourge of bovine TB; he said it should be done in ten years. Neither must have been happy with what transpired subsequently as we still await the eradication of bovine TB many years later.
Micheál was very committed to the livestock trade and cattle industry. He was reared in Kilcock, County Kildare, although he was born in Farranfore, County Kerry. He got his love of land and cattle from his late father, John, and he spent many years in the livestock export business.
He had many other strings to his bow apart from agriculture. He was active in the Dublin Port and Docks Board, was chairman and long time committee member of the Irish Live Stock Exporters' and Traders' Association and a council member of the Agricultural Institute, now known as Teagasc, from 1960 to 1963. He loved horses, had a great interest in rugby and loved to have a pint. For the past 12 years he lived with Barbara and his family in Melbourne. On his many visits home he would come into the Members' Bar to have a drink with any of us who was around and catch up with the Irish political scene, in which he always maintained an interest.
He met his Australian wife Barbara at the Aga Khan Cup in 1959 and they married six months later. It was an extremely happy marriage and they had a large family. Barbara was visiting Ireland at the time supporting her great love, the Australian rugby team. We will not dwell on the results back in those days either. It was through her love of rugby and connections with friends who had married here that Micheál and Barbara met.
We remember a party colleague of great humour and charm. He was someone people loved to meet on these corridors, even long after his retirement. He had a great interest in Fine Gael and the democratic system in Ireland and was very proud of his contribution to democracy through his 20 years contribution to the Seanad and as father of this House. On my behalf and on that of the Fine Gael Party I express my sincere sympathy to Barbara and their children. Micheál will be brought back to Ireland and will be buried with his parents in the Kilcock graveyard on Saturday week. May he rest in peace.
