Seanad Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 12 Oct 1999

Vol. 160 No. 6

Death of Member: Expressions of Sympathy.

An Cathaoirleach

My first duty is to announce to the House the sad news of the death of our esteemed colleague, Senator Paddy McGowan. Senator McGowan was one of the longest serving Members of the Oireachtas having been first elected in 1965. He was a totally dedicated and extremely hardworking public representative who was highly respected by both party colleagues and political opponents. Paddy was an excellent contributor to debates in the Chamber and even on the Order of Business he always spoke with such passion and conviction that it would be a brave or perhaps foolhardy Cathaoirleach who would dare to interrupt him when he was in full flight. In fact, whenever he entered the Chamber for the Order of Business carrying a glass of water in his hand, I resigned myself to the fact that I had already lost the battle.

Issues of concern to his native Donegal and the problems of the Border areas had a special priority in Paddy's political agenda. He was one of the first to advocate the continuation of Objective One status for the west and Border regions. During more than 40 years of public service at local and national level, Paddy McGowan made a major contribution to Irish political life. He will be sadly missed by his colleagues in the Oireachtas. He will be especially missed by the people of Donegal whom he represented loyally for so many years but, most of all, he will missed by his grieving family to whom I offer my sincere sympathy. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Mr. Cassidy

I wish to take this opportunity to pay tribute to our esteemed colleague and friend, Senator Paddy McGowan, and to adjourn proceedings after the tributes have been taken today as a mark of respect to his long service and commitment to Seanad Éireann. As the Cathaoirleach has said, his passing has meant that Donegal has lost one of its most respected and long serving politicians. He served the people of his native Donegal for more than 40 years and, having been elected to Donegal County Council in 1958, he always worked diligently for the people of his native Finn Valley. I can claim to have known many parishes and areas in Ireland long before I came into Seanad Éireann but I didn't know the Finn Valley until Paddy McGowan repeatedly mentioned it on the Order of Business.

If a man can be said to have left his mark on his native county – the county of his birth – we can all agree Paddy McGowan was such a man. He was a truly caring man with a great sense of humour. He always had a smile and left everyone with a parting contentment. If he hammered home a point very hard, at least he had a little bit of light hearted humour at the end of it. He did his best and had the attitude that if one was unable able to deliver this time, perhaps one would be able to do so the next time. He had great pride in being a politician and in helping the people as a representative of the county consulate here in Seanad Éireann and of his native county in Donegal. For him, being a politician was a public duty. He always carried out his duties at local and national level with unbelievable vigour and determination.

He was first elected to the Seanad in 1965 and was the longest serving Senator with more than 28 years' service. He was elected on the Agricultural Panel and was returned to the Seanad on no fewer than seven occasions, most recently two years ago. We all agree that this is a remarkable tribute to a man who believed deeply in the importance of Seanad Éireann in our parliamentary democracy and whose contributions were always incessant and thoughtful. He was a straight talking man and people knew where they stood with him. There was never any doubt where Paddy McGowan's loyalties lay. If he believed something wasn't right he let you know. If he believed something was right he was always the first to agree.

For anyone who failed to deliver to Donegal or who was not pressing some project with sufficient energy, Paddy would let him or her know and would be the first to do so. He was chairman of Donegal Vocational Education Committee between 1974 and 1979. He also served on the board of management of Letterkenny Regional Technical College and the board of management of the Hotel Training College in Killybegs. The first time I met Paddy McGowan was in the hotel business. He owned an inter-county hotel in Letterkenny in the mid sixties and Ostán na Rosann in Dungloe. Paddy was a champion of his time and, were it not for the troubles in 1969, he would have been the P.V. Doyle of the hotel industy of the north-west. He was an incredible promoter, an incredible person with enormous confidence, energy and ability.

I was in the entertainment business and I worked in Paddy's venues and have terrific fond memories. If Paddy McGowan had been living in Dublin he would have been seen in the same light as the late P.V. Doyle. He was also a founder member of the cross-Border co-ordination group which consists of Donegal County Council, Derry City Council and Strabane Urban District Council. He was also a member of the local fisheries committee. In his long service of Seanad Éireann he proved a loyal servant throughout the decades. He was also a major influence in the Fianna Fáil organisation nationally and in Donegal and was a tower of strength who could always be relied upon to galvanise support at election time. I met some colleagues today who were involved in John O'Leary's by-election in 1966. Those of us who had the pleasure of working with him in every by-election since then know Paddy McGowan did his fair share. In his commitment to by-elections, general elections, local elections, presidential elections and, in particular, Seanad elections he was unequaled in the field of determination and proper organisation. He was prepared to travel the length and breadth of Ireland to support the party and the strength of Fianna Fáil throughout Ireland and in Donegal is due in no small measure to his dedication.

He was a man to whom everyone was an equal. Whether one was a man or woman on the street or a high powered political personality, Paddy treated everyone equally. While it could be said that he had many opponents, he certainly had few enemies. He was a man who would do his best to help anyone who appreciated him irrespective of his political leanings.

Leinster House, a Chathaoirligh, will be a lesser place today and in the future without Paddy as will the Fianna Fáil party. He has served on behalf of the people of Donegal at almost every level for many years. Paddy was one of a kind; he was one we will not see the likes of again for a long time. I welcome his family here, including his son who is now a councillor. On behalf of Seanad Éireann, as Leader of this House, and on behalf of the Fianna Fáil party, I offer our deepest sympathy to his family, to whom the loss is the greatest. Go ndéana Dia trócaire ar a anam.

Mr. Manning

A Chathaoirligh, I would like to join, on behalf of Fine Gael, in the tributes which you and the Leader have so eloquently paid to the memory of the late Senator McGowan.

Senator McGowan was a vital, active Member of this House for a very long time. It is very hard to imagine Seanad Éireann without his presence. He had a very distinctive contribution to make. He was utterly loyal to his party. He would support the party line, put the party cause, defend the party interest and would do so with wholehearted enthusiasm. He was not afraid to take hostages or, rather, he did not take hostages. He could say hard things but was equally prepared to have hard things said to him. He was an exponent of basic politics. He could give and he could take and that is the essence of a good politician. There were no complaints from him after a hard debate.

His other great loyalty was to County Donegal. As the Cathaoirleach said, when I was Leader of the House if I saw Senator McGowan coming for the Order of Business, whether or not he had his glass of water, I knew that the interests of Donegal and the north-west would not go unmentioned and would be fought for when he was around. He would ask questions and was not the least embarrassed about asking the same question Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and asking it again Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of the following weeks until he got the answer he was looking for. He was not an easy man to embarrass when it came to securing the interests of Donegal. He was a great Donegal patriot and his love of Donegal shone through all he did and every contribution he made in this House.

He will be impossible to replace. Politicians like Paddy McGowan came of a certain era, a certain generation. They were people of very certain and strong convictions and views. I do not think we will see their like again. His party, Fianna Fail, has suffered a great loss and I want to convey my sympathy and the sympathy of my party to it. To the people of Donegal, you have lost a great champion, somebody who would fight for Donegal, right or wrong, first and last, but who always put the county at the top of his political agenda. To his family, you have lost a spouse, a loving father, a very fine man. On behalf of Fine Gael I offer my sincerest sympathy.

Mr. Quinn

On behalf of the Independents I offer my deep sympathy and that of my colleagues. The House, Donegal and this country will be poorer without Paddy McGowan. We are going to miss him a great deal. I met him when I came to the House six and a half years ago and, because of my northern connections, we got to know each another quickly. I learned only then, thinking that I was meeting him for the first time, that we met before in Dungloe some years previously. I can recall the experience now – I did not remember it when we discussed it five or six years ago – because my family visited the town on a hot sunny day in October, the one day on which the local swimming pool was out of operation due to its being cleaned. I went to him and said that we had travelled all the way there to swim in the pool but it was not working and he said, "The Atlantic Ocean is there, what about the Atlantic Ocean?" We went down to the beach and swam in the sea and we found it just as pleasant. All we needed was somebody to give us the push and he provided it.

My memories of him during the years we served together in the House are of a man who was interested in everything. The Leader of the House referred to his interest in education and agriculture but he was interested in almost everything. It seemed that his interest caught our imagination because he showed commitment and dedication to whatever caught his attention. He was not a man who was happy to leave things as they were. I would use the word "revolutionary" in the sense that he was unhappy with things as they were, he wanted them to change. I believe that is the reason he became involved in public life and I was impressed to discover from the Cathaoirleach that he gave 40 years of public service. During the 29 years he spent in this House, he left a clear mark.

The thing I will remember most about him was the twinkle in his eye, his sense of humour and his laughter. When he stood, on either side of the House, to make some comment, usually about the price of food or some subject that he knew would catch my attention, he looked over, caught my eye and there was a wink in it because he knew he was doing good and doing what he believed in, but he was having a little fun also. That is the sort of image I will always have of him. More than anything else, however, I will think of him as somebody who got a great deal out of his time. We have spoken about 40 years of public service and 29 years of service in this House, but it was more the time he gave to individuals that was remarkable and I believe he found it difficult to understand that someone else would not give of their time in a similar way. When he learned that I had visited Donegal and had not dropped in to see him, he let me know afterward that it was not to happen again. The next time I travelled to the county I was to be sure that I did not leave without visiting him.

May I say to his family and to those who miss him a great deal because of their close and long association, we miss him also. However, we know that our loss does not compare to that which you have experienced. He is in our thoughts and in yours. We wish that our memory of him will stay with us because of the great work he did. Your memory of him will stem from the great love that he showed in everything he touched. We will remember him.

Mr. Costello

On behalf of the Labour Party I offer my sincere condolences to the family of Senator Paddy McGowan on their tragic loss. I also sympathise with Fianna Fáil on the loss of an esteemed member who was a great champion of the people of Donegal and of the interests of that county. He served the people of Donegal since 1960 as a county councillor and he was elected to Seanad Éireann from 1965 to 1981 and again from 1987 until his untimely death in 1999, a total of almost 29 years. He was the father of the Seanad and a good friend and colleague to everyone in this House. He was an energetic man, brimming with ideas and with the determination to ensure their implementation.

Paddy McGowan was the quintessential Donegal man. At every opportunity he promoted Donegal. The case for better roads in that county, the development of the Foyle fisheries, various industrial and business projects, agriculture, tourism and, particularly in later years, cross-Border co-operation were always articulated regularly and trenchantly on the Order of Business, whenever a suitable occasion occurred and sometimes when the occasion was not deemed by you, Sir, to be suitable. He was a successful businessman and farmer and always knew what he was talking about. His passing is a great loss to his family, to the Fianna Fáil Party and to his many friends and colleagues in this House and throughout the country. On behalf of the Labour Party, I welcome his family and extend our deepest sympathies to them. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Mr. Dardis

When the seat beside me here began to be unoccupied on a fairly regular basis we were all worried about Senator McGowan. Senator Bonner kept us up to date with regular bulletins about him and we had hoped that he would be restored to us. Unfortunately, the intervals between his appearances in the House became longer and now we have lost a good friend. He was a one-off, a person who was larger than life. It is a remarkable record to have served one's country and one's localtity for the length of time he did. More remarkable are the energy, determination and single mindedness that he could still bring to that task, even after all those years. He was still undiminished in his advocacy for the people of Donegal and in his defence of them. It was not just that he brought local issues to national prominence but he enriched national life by the way in which he did that. For that he is owed a debt of gratitude.

He was a very outspoken champion and it is correct to say he could clash quite vigorously and vocally with anybody, within his own party or outside, but when the battle was over there was always some lightness and a twinkle that relieved the tension. We wish his son Patrick well in carrying on the proud family record in Donegal and I am sure he will do that with the distinction Paddy brought to the job. He was a respected and long serving Member of the House and he will definitely be missed.

He is quoted in the Donegal Democrat saying something about himself which I am not sure is true. He said, “I am always playing the curate. I never aspired to be the parish priest.” We can say with a reasonable degree of certainty that if he did not become the parish priest he could certainly put the fear of God across a bishop or a pope. I also notice – something I was not aware of – that he had studied agriculture and horticulture in England during his younger days and we know that he brought a depth to his contributions to debates. He knew what he was talking about and I do not think Paddy McGowan ever spoke without being sure of his facts. That is a mark of a good parliamentarian and something for which he will be remembered.

To his colleagues in Fianna Fáil, to his family and to his friends in Donegal I, on behalf of the Progressive Democrats and on my own behalf, extend sincere sympathy. May he rest in peace.

Mr. Lanigan

Like the other Members, I express my deep sympathy to the family of the late Paddy. In Donegal last week, a noticeable feature was the huge amount of sadness in the house but equally, the huge amount of joy that his family had enjoyed his presence for so many years. There was a mixture of joy and sadness and that is how it should be. I served with Paddy for many years here and we worked together as Leader and Whip for some years.

A Chathaoirligh, you mentioned that when you saw him coming in with a glass of water you were scared. I guarantee that when he was on the telephone to officialdom, people were scared because he did not pull his punches. He told them exactly what he and his clients wanted and would not take no for an answer. I would love to have been in the offices of some county managers and engineers because their ears were burned on a number of occasions.

He was a great servant to this House and the people with whom he worked in Donegal. In particular, Pat "the Cope" Gallagher, as a Member of the European Parliament, received 100 per cent back-up from Paddy. Paddy was on the telephone more often about matters pertaining to Europe than anybody else I knew. He was straight and called a spade a spade. Mary Reynolds, his secretary over the past number of years – whom he shared with Senator Lydon and myself – is devastated following his death. She knew better than most people the relationship that existed between Paddy, his family and politics – that was the essence of Paddy McGowan. He will be sincerely missed by colleagues on all sides of the House.

Mr. Hanafin

I wish to be associated with this vote of sympathy. I knew Paddy McGowan for a long time as both of us have been Members of this House for a particularly long time and as a result of his death I am now the longest serving Member. However, I have been absent for a considerable time, with the permission of the Taoiseach, the Leader of the House and the Government Whip, due to illness. However, I wanted to be associated with this vote. I thought about preparing a script that would do justice to his mem ory but I decided not to because in all the years that I knew him I never saw him read from a script. He always spoke without notes or a prepared speech and he was very sincere when he spoke. He had a great loyalty to the party he represented and he had a particular loyalty to his own county, which is usual, but his loyalty was greater than others.

Donegal seemed to be his Ireland and he spoke about the county frequently. I first met him in my house in 1965 when he was canvassing and I was a member of the council at the time. I got to know him well and then I had occasion to meet him during a general election. His commitment to Joe Brennan, who was of ministerial rank at the time, was strong and it was equally so even when we were in Opposition. He was very committed to that in which he believed. I called to his home on many occasions and the manner in which I was received by himself and his wife was very pleasant and I was grateful for that. He was a great public servant and he fought for that in which he believed. As Senator Maurice Manning mentioned he had seen, as I had seen too, he never seemed to give up. If he brought up something and didn't get a hearing, it came up again the following day, or the following week. You could be sure it was definitely going to come up again. A week might pass but he never gave up on any issue to which he was committed.

I told the Whip I wanted to be here today because I was so anxious to be associated with this tribute. I am particularly pleased to see the tradition carried on by a member of his family. Paddy would have liked us to say that he was a great Donegalman. He would be satisfied with that description. Thank you, Cathaoirleach.

Mr. Bonner

It is a very sad occasion for me to pay tribute to my constituency colleague and my fellow Donegalman. I knew Paddy McGowan for over 30 years. He was a very capable and able politician but there were many other attributes which you could relate to Paddy outside the political arena. He was basically a businessman. He was also a very kind and generous family man and also very kind and generous to the people in his constituency in Donegal. He came into politics first in 1960 in the Donegal County Council elections. He was put forward on the Fianna Fáil ticket by the late Mick McGinty, a well-known draper in the town of Ballybofey. The reason Paddy was put forward at that time was that he pushed so loyally for the area he came from, an area that has always felt cut off. For many years they were in the Letterkenny electorate area but for national politics they were always in Donegal South-West. When Paddy set out in 1960 he took down a long-standing Fianna Fáil councillor in the Letterkenny area, Hugh McKendrick, and on the occasion of Paddy's election, McKendrick announced, "Many's a good house was brought down by a bad one." Those words proved to be totally untrue as all of us over the years have found out about Paddy McGowan. Through the years he went from strength to strength.

He came to this House in 1965. He represented very ably and with great determination the people of both constituencies of Donegal, Donegal North-East and Donegal South-West. On every occasion he raised the industrial development and unemployment difficulties in Donegal, and he never, as many speakers have said, let us forget them. The last occasion on which he addressed the House with a substantial contribution was over a year ago, when there were difficulties in Herdman's factory in Ballybofey. Paddy was responsible for the bringing of that enterprise to Donegal when they set up originally. A number of the employees were being laid off and within a few hours of the word being announced, Paddy had it on the agenda here, spoke eloquently and made the case for the employees.

As a member of Donegal County Council he represented the Finn valley area, where he grew up. He originally came from the Gaeltacht area of Glenfinn, where his sister Mary Brown, a very dedicated and loyal member of the Fianna Fail organisation, still resides. He later grew up on a small family farm with his three brothers and six sisters. He went through life when times were difficult, when there was very little formal education but Paddy educated himself through all his experiences and the trials and tribulations of life. He was a great man to pass on advice to younger people.

He fought for that Finn valley area over the years. He was instrumental in getting the Finn college transformed into St. Columba's secondary school, which is now one of the largest secondary schools in Ireland. He fought on many occasions for the reinstatement of six or seven bridges across the River Finn in the Finn valley. When the Donegal county manager set out to modernise and decentralise the Donegal County Council system Paddy was one of the first who agreed and supported it. One of the reasons he supported it was that for the first time in many years, the Finn valley area, the Ballybofey and Stranorlar area, where he came from, was to have its own electoral area. Although in ill health, it was tremendous for him to see at the last council election that out of the three elected members to the Ballybofey electoral area two were from the Fianna Fáil party and, particularly, that one of them was his son, Patrick, who is present in the gallery today, and the other was his niece, Alice Bonner, the daughter of Paddy's sister. It is a tribute to the McGowan family from the people of the Finn valley that two new councillors in that area are members of the McGowan family.

Not only had Paddy McGowan a successful political career but my first memories of him were as a businessman and entrepreneur, a man with great vision and wisdom, a man who always operated on the basis of common sense. I remember when I was a young student during my first year at home from university, he was the first man who gave me employment when he was building Ostán na Rosann in Dungloe. I remember at the time Paddy coming up in his second-hand Mercedes and most of the eight children, all of whom are in the gallery today, were in the car with him. The following year he gave me further employment in the office of the hotel. In later years my mother and sister worked for him in the office.

I saw the other side of Paddy McGowan on the occasion of the sudden death of my mother when he was a great support to me, my father and the other members of our family. No matter where I met him he always talked about how my mother had helped him. It was on one of those occasions when in Dungloe and in the office that I met Rosemary. I remember well the way he introduced her to me. He said "This is the woman who has nursed me back to health" on the occasion of one of his illnesses. During the 18 months of Paddy's illness, it was Rosemary who, night and day, nursed and looked after Paddy. Nobody ever had a reward such as Paddy had given the way Rosemary looked after him in his last months in this world.

He was a great entrepreneur. Not only did he set up Ostán na Rosann, he built the Intercounty Hotel in Lifford. Unfortunately, due to the troubles, this successful hotel eventually ran into difficulties. He was also the founder member of Donegal Foods in Letterkenny. He saw a great opening there. Donegal was a great potato producing county but, unfortunately, the farmers in Donegal were not getting their just reward. Paddy noted that all chipped potatoes were being imported from Holland and he set about redressing the position. He was also a founding member of Donegal Highland Radio which is the most successful local radio station. In the many areas in which Paddy was involved, he applied his energy and moved on. He did everything he possibly could for the people of south-west Donegal.

It is a great tribute to him that two members of his immediate family have continued the political tradition. I take this opportunity on behalf of my family to offer my condolences to all the members of his family who are present and to Róisín and her young brother who are also present and to say that my political career was greatly enriched and helped along the line by everything Paddy McGowan did. I could say the same for other Fianna Fáil members of the Oireachtas Deputies Coughlan and Keaveney and the Minister, Deputy McDaid, because he was a great political adviser to all of us, he was always willing to give a helping hand.

There was another side to Paddy, that you dare not enter into his patch. I remember one 'phone call he made to me last year. Possibly, he had his eye still on running for election and he brought me up to his office on the second floor in Kildare House. He showed me a map of one of the bridges across the Finn Valley. I had received a reply from the county council the previous week. I thought it was a quite a useful piece of information so I had it printed in the local newspaper. Paddy called me up and said, "You see that bridge there, don't try to take the credit." He said the first job he did as a member of Donegal County Council nearly 40 years ago was to close the open drain along that roadway. He said he had been fighting for years for a new bridge across the Finn and for a footpath and lighting but that I was only here three months and was trying to take the credit. He was a great man to protect his patch, but he was also loyal, helpful and full of advice. I will miss him greatly. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

Mr. Farrell

It is with a heavy heart that I stand to pay tribute to Paddy McGowan. Paddy and myself go back a long way. When I first knew Paddy 40 long years ago, he drove a truck. He would leave Ballybofey at 9 p.m. or 10 p.m., drive to the fruit market in Dublin, arriving at possibly 4 a.m. and sleep in the cab of that old truck until the market opened at 6 a.m. In those days, there were no air brakes, power steering or heaters in trucks; they were a cold miserable way of transport. He bought his load of fruit and paid for it, as was the custom. Paddy then had his breakfast in a cafe on the quays which was open for that particular purpose. A breakfast in those days was bread, butter and tea and it cost one shilling. He drove back to Donegal and sold his fruit in various towns and villages. There were no Fergal Quinn's or supermarkets in those days but family grocers, and he supplied them with fresh fruit and vegetables from the Dublin market.

The one thing Paddy and I had in common, which first brought us together, was that we both believed we should not have to leave Ireland to make a living; we believed we could do it at home. Paddy grew up at a time when the hiring fairs were in Strabane and Lifford and he saw many boys and girls brought there by their fathers and mothers to be hired by farmers in Tyrone, Derry, Fermanagh and his own Donegal. Those 14 and 15 year olds were leaving home for the first time; they had never gone beyond their own house and the national school. They were hired by large farmers as house maids and farm boys. Some of them got on very well, but he saw the tears and the goodbyes. Many them never saw their fathers, mothers or homes again. Paddy saw a sad world in his young days and he set out to improve it.

Paddy did not become involved in politics or become a councillor to get the letters "MCC" after his name. He did not become a Member of the House to get the word "Senator" before his name but to work for the people of Donegal. The roads were bad, there was no rural electrification or water supplies, only the old spring well. Paddy worked hard to ensure that he got roads into Donegal and he promoted rural electrification, water supplies and, particularly, house grants and house reconstruction. Indeed, at one of the last parliamentary party meetings he attended, he argued forcefully for an increase in the new house grant to £10,000 and for a reconstruction grant of £5,000 because Paddy believed that if people in rural Ireland had a comfortable home with electricity, water and all the amenities, it would help to keep the population there. That was his main thing. He also had great interest in all schools and the vocational education committee, which he chaired for many years, in particular. He believed the tech was the poor man's university, and I did too, having graduated from it. John Fitzgerald Kennedy said that, in his father's time, emigrants left Ireland for America with a mixture of hope and agony. However, because of vocational education, they later went to London, Birmingham and Manchester with a mixture of hope and confidence as they had second level education. That bit of training in woodwork and metalwork, and home economics for girls, meant they could go with their group certificates and many girls became good nurses. Many of the young people were able to improve their lot and that is why so many Irish people did well in England. Paddy believed strongly in the vocational education system and worked very hard for it.

He was also a great friend. He was not a fair weather friend, though there are many of them in society. No, if Paddy was with you, he was with you. The parish priest in Lifford, speaking at his requiem mass, said that when he was in difficulties and had to go to court to clear his name, Paddy was a man who stood with him and backed him all the way when others shied away. Paddy was a friend for life, not a fair weather friend.

It was good to hear Bishop Seamus Hegarty say that when he had trouble with a school and all else failed, he went to Paddy. Paddy said he would take it on and he made a success of it. He was a hands on politician. He told me that before an election he went to the county manager to get a door on a council house for an old lady. The county manager said there was no money and that it could not be done. Persuasion failed and Paddy drove to the council storeyard. He had served his time as a carpenter and he picked a door out of the store, saying: "Tell the county manager that Paddy McGowan took this door". He went home, changed his clothes, got his toolbox and hung the door himself. A week later he got a letter from the county manager saying that he would send out an engineer to examine the door. Paddy wrote "PTO" on the front of it and wrote on the back: "The door is fitted. Mission accomplished. Don't waste your engineer's time. Paddy McGowan" and he mailed it back to him.

This was the kind of hands on man Paddy was. There was no such thing as taking no for an answer – it was done. As others have said, Paddy was in the hotel business but during the troubles in 1969, Strabane and Lifford became no-go areas. I visited the hospital in Lifford and saw the bomb damage in Strabane. People who are not from that area do not realise the damage that was done there. However, Paddy did not give in. He bought a patch of land in Donegal town and built the Pavese Ballroom, which he ran successfully in the big band era.

He could turn his hand to anything. If one thing failed, he had something else on the conveyor belt. He always had something on his programme. Some of his best work was done in cross-Border co-operation. Because of how he saw Northern Ireland, he went to Derry and Fermanagh, he met councillors, the IRA, the UDA, Unionists, Nationalists and the SDLP. He spoke to them individually and succeeded in getting cross-Border co-operation. That was the forerunner of today's peace initiative. It is sad that he did not live to see peace completed but, with God's help, it will be so and that will be a tribute to Paddy.

To his wife, Rosemary, and his family we extend our sincere sympathy. Paddy always referred to his part of Donegal as "his patch". Today he rests on a patch in Heaven. May we all meet on that patch one day. Paddy, we miss you. You were a great friend. Go dtuga Dia suaimhneas dá anam.

Mr. Lydon

Today was different when I came into the office and looked across at Paddy's desk. Senator McGowan always arrived in the office before me, no matter what time I arrived. He was a fantastic worker. However, over the past while when I looked across at his desk, I wondered when he would return and then began to wonder if he would be coming back at all. I last saw him when I visited his house a month or so ago. He was sitting in a chair sleeping gently. Rosemary wanted to waken him but I said, "No, let him rest." I last spoke to Paddy about a week ago and asked him how he was doing. He said, "I'm grand. I'm feeling very good. In fact, I'll be up for the opening of the Seanad." I told him that we were all looking forward to seeing him. I did not believe he would be here but I hoped he would be. It was different to arrive today and know that he will never be here again. He has lost the final battle with the Grim Reaper which we will all lose some day.

Senator McGowan was a great friend and colleague for many years. I knew him long before I became a Member of the House as I came from the same part of County Donegal. Paddy helped me when I started in politics and when I went for the committee of 15 and such things. He was a great supporter who seemed to help everyone. He never turned anyone away. He had a great sense of humour – he was great craic and would often regale me with stories of things he had done. There was a wicked glee about him.

Paddy was a very hospitable man who never turned one down if one asked for something. He was particularly hospitable to his constituents. A year or so ago he had a card printed by Mary Reynolds, our secretary, which said "Available seven days a week, 24 hours a day." I told him that one could not be available 24 hours a day but he said, "You can. I have a fax. They can fax me and I'll answer it."

I once asked Paddy how he managed to get so many things done. He said, "I just keep at it." Other Senators have mentioned that persistence was one of Paddy's great assets and abilities. He was very assertive and self-assured but was never aggressive. One could have a row with him one day and be a friend the next. However, he was always persistent and always seemed to win eventually.

Paddy once rang me and said he was trying to help a decent fellow who was a good Fianna Fáil man. I knew there was something coming. Paddy said that this man had a son whom he wanted to attend a certain third level educational establishment in Dublin. I asked what this had to do with me. Paddy said, "You're in Dublin, you can fix it up." Paddy rang me every day for two or three weeks asking if I had sorted the matter out. I contacted the institution without any success. Paddy then started ringing the institution and kept at it until the young man got a place. This student eventually achieved first place in his first year exam. That does not sound like much of an achievement until I tell the House that the young man never passed his leaving certificate. However, Paddy was so persistent that the institution gave up and let the young man in. Paddy was like that all the time. He never gave up on any problem.

Paddy's great legacy is his family. I am glad one of his sons, Patrick, is carrying on in his political career. Perhaps one day he will grace Paddy's seat in the Seanad as well. There is a long line of Paddy McGowans, the youngest is the sixth.

During the homily at the mass the priest kept using the phrase, "Paddy was possessed of a restless energy." He had amazing energy. The wee man – as the Cope used to call him – might have been small in stature but he was larger than life in so many ways. I should say, "Rest in peace." He probably is at peace but I know he is not resting. He has probably been elected the first chairman of the heaven comhairle Dáil cheantair by this stage. He was a great colleague, good friend and a very nice man to know. I am going to miss him. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

Mr. Bohan

I express my deepest sympathy to Paddy's family. I have known Paddy for approximately 30 years. We first met in by-elections. I think we worked every by-election in Ireland over those 30 years. When the Donegal crew led by Paddy arrived at a by-election it meant serious business. We had great times together. Almost all speakers have mentioned Paddy's love for Donegal. I do not intend to go over that but, as has been said, how Paddy felt about his own patch is legendary. Dublin hardly existed in his mind. I again extend my deep sympathy. While Paddy may have gone from this world he has left a great legacy in his large and loving family. I will miss him, as I am sure will everybody in both Houses. May he rest in peace.

Mr. Mooney

I could not help but reflect on all the comments made about Paddy. I am sure colleagues and, in particular, his family will agree the memories are happy. References have rightly been made to the man with a twinkle in his eye and a laugh. I cannot remember an image of Paddy McGowan without his smile and a hint of devilment and mischief in his actions. There are many memories of meetings, particularly in the past couple of years since our Leader took over as chair of Seanad group meetings. I am sure the family will be glad to hear they became great entertainment. Apart from the serious business, the jousting between our Leader and Senator McGowan on issues which were important to him always ensured that even Senator Donie Cassidy could be bested on those issues.

It is amazing to hear about the longevity of people's memories. Funnily enough my first meeting with Paddy had nothing to do with politics. As Willie said, he was the owner of the Pavese ballroom in Donegal. I worked for Lairds jam manufacturers in Drumshanbo. As the family knows, Paddy had family connections in my home town. Some Members have reminded me they used to visit it when they were young. Paddy supplied Lairds with fruit with the famous fruit lorry to which Willie referred. I was unaware Paddy owned the Pavese when I went to the Pavese box office to pay. A man stopped me and said, "Wait a minute, you're young Mooney from Drumshanbo, you don't pay coming in here" and he gave me a pass that night. The Pavese is long gone but I still have the pass with Paddy McGowan on it. I know no matter where Paddy is, as far as he is concerned I would not have to pay.

Two things stand out. First, we talked about his legacy and the legacy of his warm and loving family. He had a wonderful relationship with them and anyone who knew the intimacy between Paddy and his family will testify to that. It was a wonderful thing and they will miss him dearly.

He was never a boastful man but one of the things that he often talked about with great pride was his initiation of the first cross-Border relationships between Nationalists in the Border counties and loyalists in Magherafelt and Strabane. He talked with pride to me on many occasions, because we were involved in many cross-Border initiatives in recent years, about how he managed not only to encourage members of the DUP to involve themselves in cross-Border operations but struck up great friendships with them. This was long before there was talk of reconciliation and when people speak now about all the great advances which have been made, and there have been many, I often think about what it must have been like for a Southern Irish politician in 1971, at the height of the troubles, to go into Northern Ireland and talk about reconciliation among people who were deeply opposed to him and his political philosophy. That is his legacy and will remain identified with him forever.

Another thing which came across in many of the comments and tributes made here today was his great tenacity. I was in the company of a former Minister last week in the House who talked about this very tenacity and I presume it best illustrates what many of us have been talking about. I will not name the former Minister to avoid any embarrassment, although he talked about him with great feeling. Paddy wanted this Minister to visit the constituency to make a presentation at a particular time. He went to him on a number of occasions to encourage him to come but the Minister said he had a busy schedule and on the day in question he could not make it. Two weeks later he got a call from the Taoiseach of the day who asked him up to his office. When he went in he quickly discovered that not only was he to make the time to go to Donegal, he would be in Donegal on the day appointed because, the Taoiseach said to him, Paddy McGowan wanted him there on the day and he would be there, it had nothing to do with schedules. That former Minister told me that any other Member of the House would probably have accepted he could not be there but not Paddy. That was an indication of how tenacious he could be. The Minister finished the story by saying that he never held it against him because that was Paddy McGowan. That sums him up.

We will all miss him. Irishmen are not supposed to show their emotions but it would be accurate to say that all of us, without exception, loved Paddy McGowan. To his family and friends, Don and Mick, and Mary Reynolds who was so close to him in the House, and to anyone who was touched by the uniqueness of Paddy McGowan, ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Mr. O'Brien

I would like to join previous speakers in extending my deepest sympathy to his family who are all here today. Paddy served in Seanad Éireann for 29 years and represented the people of Donegal for 40 years. I always found him to be diligent, co-operative and eager to accommodate the people he represented. I had the pleasure of working with him since I was elected in 1989 and he was always there to advise and assist me when I first came to Seanad Éireann. We were very good friends because we were both on the agriculture panel.

When I was fighting for election for the first time in 1989, I used to wear a red tie. Paddy had great fun about this tie and all his family will know about it. On the night of the voting when we were all there, he stood up on the podium and said "Well I even wake up in the middle of the night and see Francie O'Brien and his red tie".

Paddy served at all levels of the Fianna Fáil organisation and on Donegal County Council, since 1958. He is an enormous loss to the Fianna Fáil organisation, his colleagues in Seanad Éireann and, in particular, his native Donegal which he loved so well. I send my deepest sympathy to his family. May he rest in peace.

Ms Ormonde

I wish to be associated with the many tributes made today. I first met Paddy dur ing the 1989 Seanad election. Every time I went to the council polling station Paddy was always there in front of me and I seemed to be next. Somehow, along the length and breadth of the country, Paddy and I seemed to click every time outside the polling stations so the banter started and we got to know one another in a fun way. I saw the funny side of Paddy's personality during the campaign.

I was elected to this House and in the first few months it was important for me to listen. The only person who contributed every week when I was trying to get a feel for the Order of Business was Paddy. He was my example. He stood up every week and he knew his brief. No matter what the subject, he had his homework done and he did it with such commitment and energy. There was no way Paddy would let go of a bone, so to speak. I was learning how Paddy did the job and I said to myself that if Paddy could get away with it, I must be able to do the same. I tried to adopt a similar style, that if I wanted something I should go after it the way Paddy McGowan did.

We bonded in the Chamber but then we clashed on a particular issue and a cold war set in. For about two months I would not speak to Paddy, rather than that he would not speak to me. We would pass on the corridor and I would not nod either way to him until one day he could not take it any longer and he said "Listen, you and I are going down now for something to eat". We went down and thrashed it out and I saw that Paddy really hated to have a row with anybody. He was so kind and sincere that he did not like to think he had hurt me in any way or I had hurt him. I saw that he was a family man, kind, sincere and extremely nice. We need more of Paddy's type in this day and age.

I miss him terribly. He was always there to listen to me and to give me advice. I am delighted to see so many of his family here to listen to the many tributes being paid to him today. We will miss him terribly in the House.

Mr. Glynn

After so many people have spoken and so much as been said, one might think that there is really nothing else left to say, but in the case of Paddy McGowan it is true that one could not say enough. Paddy was unique, as has been said, in many ways. I first met him in 1981 when he came canvassing at my door during a Seanad election and we were not long in conversation when he said: "I am seeking your support". He gave me that look – I felt he was reading my inner thoughts. He was a marvellous psychologist. Some of Senator Lydon's qualifications must have rubbed off on him, although perhaps it might be more true to say that some qualities might have rubbed off on Don from Paddy. There is no doubt he was a unique man in every respect.

Much has been said about his entrepreneurial skills and his inability to accept that two letter word "no". I once asked him to do something. He took my mobile phone number and he said he would ring me. True to Paddy and his established practice he rang me. I really did not think he was going to achieve what I asked him but he did and I do not know how. I think he said himself on the day that he did not know how he had done it but, as has been said by more than one speaker, I am sure it was due to the sheer tenacity of the man.

He has been followed into public life by his son, Paddy. I have the honour and privilege of having his son, Eamon, in Mullingar who is a great friend, a great support and, indeed, a valuable adviser. If Eamon is continuing in the tradition – and I understand that he will because I posed it to him today – I think there will be many branches of the McGowan family in public life.

I remember meeting him in Francie O'Brien's native Monaghan where I had to see three or four councillors. Mobile phones were not very popular at the time; they were rather expensive and I was not among the fraternity who had them. Paddy generously said to me, "sit into the car young man and ring anywhere you like". It was a lovely gesture to a fledgling candidate running for the Seanad for the first time and I never forgot it.

The Fianna Fáil Party will be poorer by his passing but when you look at it in a more positive sense, there are many young men and women in the Fianna Fáil Party and in public life who have a lot to learn from his actions because Paddy was a crusader. Every cause he took up he made a crusade of it.

I had the honour earlier today – in fact I almost gave the Superintendent three heart attacks – of meeting all his family. Having met them, most of them for the first time, it is clear that Paddy McGowan was a great family man, a man with a great depth of feeling and a man who could communicate that feeling to those with whom he came in contact. We will all miss him. I did not know Paddy as well as some of the people in this Chamber. Senator Farrell and himself, I cannot say they were boozing pals because Senator Farrell does not drink – and I do not think Paddy spent too much time at it either – but they were bosom pals. Listening to Senator Farrell on more than one occasion articulating the attributes of Paddy McGowan reflects exactly what this Chamber has lost, what the McGowan family has lost, what Donegal has lost but most of all, what Ireland has lost. I, like others, will miss him but I feel privileged for having met him. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

Mr. D. Kiely

I, too, would like to be associated with the votes of sympathy to the family of the late Paddy McGowan.

I first got to know Paddy McGowan in Killarney in 1966 during the by-election of John O'Leary when the Donegal group came into town to tell us how to run an election in south Kerry. We soon learned our lessons from the Donegal boys. I got to meet him again a year later in west Limerick at Gerry Collins's by-election. Later, when I got elected into politics, I got to know him quite well and since I entered the Seanad, my first time being elected in 1981. He rarely called me by my first name. He always called me "Kiely". He would say "Come here. I want to give you a small bit of advice young man. I would keep my mouth shut more often if I were you". He was one of the first to make his viewpoint known, whether at parliamentary meetings or here in the House. He always called me aside and gave me advice without my even looking for it. I am quite sure he did that to most of the Members and most of the people in Donegal.

I have never met a politician to fight as hard as Paddy did for his native Donegal. One of his main objectives was to see peace in the northern part of our country. The Good Friday Agreement was something he thought would never happen. As many Senators have said, he played an active part in cross-Border relationships that he had put together so well. He will be sadly missed by the people of Donegal, by the Fianna Fáil organisation and by the Border counties with which he was associated. It is unfortunate he did not see the peace process coming to its final fruition and, with the help of God, that will happen in the very near future.

I am delighted to see his large family here today to hear the tributes. I thought I came from a large family but the McGowan family is even larger. He was an extremely dedicated politician and man. He was a man with two sides – the aggressive side of him that was determined to get things done and the lovable side. Again, I give my sincere sympathy to all his family.

Labhrás Ó Murchú

Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh. Is mian liom i dtosach mo chomhbhrón a chur in iúl do mhuintir Mhic Ghabhainn anseo inniu. Tá's agam go maith go bhfuil fear céile agus athair croíúil caillte acu agus tá fear cumasach agus éifeachtach caillte ní hamháin ag Dún na nGall ach ag an tír i gcoitinne. Is minic a sheas Paddy McGowan an fód ar son daoine eile, daoine nach raibh, b'fhéidir, an neart nó an cumas ionntu féin a gcás féin a throid nó iad féin a chosaint. Beidh cuimhne maith air le fada an lá toisc an obair sin.

It is always a great cross to lose a loved one and when one grieves one does so in a personal way. At the same time, it must be a great consolation to the McGowan family to hear the many tributes paid to Paddy. There are many monuments of stone throughout Ireland but the greatest monument that one can make to those who have gone to their eternal reward is to say they did good for other people, particularly those who did not have the strength or the ability to look after themselves. Those of us who listened to Paddy's tenacious approach to the many cases he handled in the Seanad know well that the people of Donegal – indeed the people of Ireland – had a strong advocate in Paddy McGowan. As a new member of the Seanad I would not know him as well as others but, having sat with him on a number of occasions in the restaurant and having listened to his contributions, I could not but be inspired by the great energy he displayed.

There are times when people who endeavour to be idealistic or endeavour to help others get tired and weary, particularly when they are confronted by bureaucracy, but we have always been inspired by Paddy McGowan because he never allowed that to happen. One need only look at his success rate and, as the Cathaoirleach said, he was the first to talk about Objective One status. We are all aware of it now, its implications and its importance for a community, but Paddy McGowan demonstrated once again that he was a man before his time. As a visionary we looked up to him. It was only a short time before or perhaps during his illness that he talked about again contesting the local elections. He never thought of giving up the work. I thank his family for having shared Paddy with us because we are all the richer as a result and life has been enhanced by his service. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam uasal.

Mr. T. Fitzgerald

I also pay my respects to my late friend and colleague, Senator Paddy McGowan and to sympathise with his family who are present. Before I continue, it should be acknowledged that other friends of Paddy are here. I see former Senator Eoin Ryan, a former leader of the House, and it is my guess that he is here as a mark of respect to Paddy McGowan.

I first met Paddy McGowan at a by-election in Kerry. As Senator Dan Kiely said, he never came alone but always brought a car-load of people with him. He taught us how a by-election should be run down to the very last vote. Paddy never ceased to amaze me. As the Cathaoirleach said, when you saw him arriving to the Order of Business with a glass water you were worried, you had already lost the battle.

As Government Chief Whip on this side of the House there was many an evening when an item of business was due to conclude at 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. and I dreaded seeing Paddy coming around the corner with his glass of water in the few minutes before the conclusion of the item, knowing he was not arriving for the next business but rather he was going to get in by hook or by crook on whatever was happening. He never ceased to amaze me. He always found an angle in all the complicated legislation that went through this House to raise a Donegal problem. It might have been very complicated legislation from Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform that had nothing to do with Donegal directly, but Paddy would find an angle to raise the issue of a courthouse in Donegal that needed repair. He would find an angle in education matters for schools – he had a list as long as my arm of schools that needed repair. It made no difference what the debate was about, Paddy found an angle to include Donegal.

Mention has been made of his cross-Border co-operation involvement. Indeed, Paddy asked me to pair him on many a Thursday evening so that he could attend such cross-Border meetings. The peace process was very close to Paddy's mind at all times. I believe he played a major part behind the scenes in trying to bring about peace on our island.

Paddy was born the same year as the Fianna Fáil Party was formed. That makes him unique. He served the people of Donegal, Ireland and the Seanad with distinction. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

Mr. Moylan

I would like to be associated with the sentiments expressed by many speakers and to extend my sympathy to the McGowan family. We have lost a very loyal colleague and friend but the greater loss is to his family.

Paddy and I served as spokespersons for tourism and sport respectively. It was an education for me, as a new Senator, to work with him, a man who at all times, as many speakers said, had a great concern for the Border and western regions. We spoke many times about tourism. On visiting Donegal recently for his funeral one saw the major developments that had taken place there. It is a tribute to the representatives in that area but to Paddy in particular who fought a battle for so many years to improve the infrastructure there.

I recall a few special moments. In the early days of his sickness Paddy had a very important appointment with a consultant in a Dublin hospital on the same day that we had an important parliamentary party meeting when a vote would take place on a nominee for the presidential election. I remember talking to him that morning. He was looking at his watch and he said, "First things first". The political scene had to come first. He had to wait for that vote at the parliamentary party meeting before he would go to see the consultant – that was Paddy. I saw him another day when we met a farming organisation here in Leinster House. A political group met the farming organisation and that organisation's first act was to attack the Minister for Agriculture and Food. Before its representatives got very far, Paddy took them on in no uncertain terms. I spoke to him afterwards and he said, "No one will run down my political colleagues in any public forum." He is a huge loss to the Seanad and to his party. May he rest in peace.

Mr. Chambers

I join with other Members in paying tribute to the late Paddy McGowan. My experience of Paddy McGowan was that he was one of the most consummate politicians I ever met in terms of serving his people. He had a tremendous relationship with the public, with those who elected him, with his constituents and with people from all walks of life. There has always been a certain aura about Donegal politicians, particularly those in Fianna Fáil. It was an experience to visit the county, particularly during by-election campaigns, to see the strength of the organisation which was led by people such as Paddy McGowan. I recall a by-election contested by the late Clement Coughlan. During the campaign, at a hotel in Letterkenny Paddy McGowan put the case for the improvement of the infrastructure, namely, the roads, around Letterkenny and other major towns and made comparisons with some of the roads that had been built north of the Border. It was stated that it was time the north-west obtained a decent infrastructure.

I remember another occasion on which he made the case for the farmers in the Finn valley – Protestants, Catholics and others – in respect of the flax industry. That case was innovative and it was put to the Minister for Agriculture of the day. Paddy also put a strong case in respect of funding from the lnterreg programme with which he was heavily involved. He also attended many of the functions that took place in Derry and elsewhere – prior to the current climate of partnership and reconciliation – at which representatives of all political persuasions in the North were present and he made tremendous efforts to ensure their success.

His diligence in respect of dealing with the issues that mattered to the people in his area was an indication of what was needed in terms of building relationships and it provides a great example to other politicians. A person who can be so close to members of the community provides a great affirmation of the strength of politics and that of a political party. Paddy McGowan played an enormous part in that sphere, particularly in County Donegal and as a Member of this House.

Fianna Fáil has lost a man of great strength who showed enormous tenacity during the past 73 or 74 years. I add my voice to the expressions of sympathy to his family and the expression of feeling from the people in the area he represented to him and his family. On the days I visited Donegal, the esteem in which he was held by the people was expressed to me. It was a great experience to have met Paddy McGowan who had tremendous commitment to politics and Fianna Fáil.

Mr. Callanan

I believe I may be the last representative of Fianna Fáil to speak. I join with the Cathaoirleach and other Members in paying well-deserved tribute to the late Paddy McGowan. We all miss him but his family will miss him most of all.

I got to know Paddy McGowan when he visited west Cork during one of his various Seanad election campaigns, I believe it was in 1973. He arrived at a Fianna Fáil meeting that was being held in Dunmanway in west Cork. I think it was on a winter's night. That was my first experience of meeting Senator Paddy McGowan. I have heard much of Senator McGowan and they are all good things. I was elected on the last occasion on the same panel with him. That was a privilege. I left west Cork to go to the funeral last Tuesday morning and I arrived at the house on Tuesday evening. I saw the warmth of the people of Donegal and what they thought of Senator Paddy McGowan, their local public representative. I met the warmth of the McGowan family and I acknowledge that. At the Mass the following day – and while people in public life will pay fine and well-deserved tributes – the priest paid one of the finest tributes I ever heard paid to anybody. Many Members of this House were present and it was well-deserved and well-merited.

I can only wish to be associated with all the fine things that have been said about the late Senator Paddy McGowan. I pay my respects, I acknowl edge his family's presence here and say, may the Lord have mercy on his soul. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

Members rose.

An Cathaoirleach

The Leader of the House has moved that the House adjourn. When is it proposed to sit again?

Mr. Cassidy

At 10.30 tomorrow morning.

The Seanad adjourned at 4.03 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 13 October 1999.