Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 1 Mar 2000

Vol. 162 No. 11

Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy.

Mr. Dardis

On behalf of the House I wish to extend a vote of sympathy to the family and colleagues of the late Mr. Tom McEllistrim, who served in this House from 1987 to 1989. I will leave it to his constituency colleagues and Senator Tom Fitzgerald in particular to give a more complete appreciation of his life, but it is worth noting that he was Minister of State at the Department of Finance in 1979. The outcome of recent Irish history might be different if the four votes that defeated him in the 1987 general election had been cast in his favour. That was the election in which Deputy Spring narrowly survived.

We must also be conscious of the great republican tradition of the McEllistrim family and the fact that such long, distinguished and uninterrupted service was given by both Mr. McEllistrim and his father from the foundation of the State. That is a remarkable achievement. His father served here for 46 successive years – from 1923 to 1969 – and Tom himself was a distinguished public servant. I extend our sincere sympathy to his wife, son and daughter and to his brother and sister. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

Mr. Manning

I join in the expression of sympathy to the family of the late Tom McEllistrim. He was someone I knew from the time I arrived in this House. He always took an interest in getting to know new Members and was always very helpful. He was steeped in the tradition of Fianna Fáil. His family were founding members of the party. As the Deputy Leader has said, the long and virtually unbroken tradition of service by the McEllistrims in Dáil Éireann to the people of Kerry is something very few families can equal. It was a great disappointment to him when he lost his seat. He served in this House, which I think he did not particularly like – he was not at home here. I think he felt his proper place was in the other House and he eventually returned there for his last term.

He was someone I was always pleased to meet. He was friendly and very conscious of his roots and the people he served. He was probably one of the sharpest dressers in the House. He always looked a great deal younger than his age and he had a great love of life. On behalf of the Fine Gael Party, I wish to salute his record of service and convey our sympathy to his family on the death of a very decent man.

Mr. O'Toole

Growing up in Kerry in a political household where there were always arguments about which side of the fence one should be on, Tommy Mac was the name that resonated through many of these arguments. I was elected here in 1987 and he joined this House at that time. Some of my colleagues asked me to point out that some of the media missed the fact that he also gave distinguished service in this House. He was very friendly and supportive to me as a fellow county person during that period. I always found him open and helpful and a source of good local information. We on the Independent benches would like to be associated with the expressions of sympathy to his family and party, particularly to his wife, son and daughter.

Mr. Costello

On behalf of the Labour Party I would like to be associated with the expressions of sympathy and condolences to the family of the late Tom McEllistrim. It is clear from his distinguished record at local and national level that he and his family have given enormous service to this State from 1923 to 1992. He gave an even more extensive service at local level in the county council, the GAA and the Chamber of Commerce. He served his country and county well. I did not know him personally but I recall being on tenterhooks on the day and night of the final count between himself and the then leader of the Labour Party, Deputy Spring, when a small margin of four votes separated them. That was tragic for his family and it brought to an end in the lower House the service of father and son from 1923 to 1987. I wish to offer my condolences to his family, the people of Kerry, Fianna Fáil and to his colleagues.

Mr. T. Fitzgerald

It is with deep regret that we learned of the death of Tom McEllistrim, a former Member of this House and of the lower House. I knew Tom throughout all my political life and I knew his father before Tom came on the scene. In 1974 when I was elected to Kerry County Council in the same electoral division as Tommy Mac, which was the Tralee division, I received help, advice and guidance from him. He was affectionately known as Tommy Mac throughout Kerry. There was a period when part of south Kerry, namely the Dingle peninsula, was part of the constituency of Kerry North, so Tommy Mac was also our TD for many years.

Tom lived in Ballymacelligott and was first elected to the Dáil in 1969, succeeding his late father, also Thomas, who served as a Deputy for Kerry North between 1923 and 1969. Some years ago, shortly before Tommy lost his seat in the Dáil, a huge celebration was held in Ballymacelligott by the McEllistrim family of 60 years of unbroken service to the people of Kerry.

He continued a long tradition of public service and served with distinction as a Minister of State, Dáil Deputy and a county councillor. He came from very strong Fianna Fáil roots and was fiercely loyal to his party, something that maybe is not as relevant today as it was then. I say that without any disrespect to any other party but Tommy only saw one party – the Fianna Fáil Party. It was back and white with him and that was it and he made no apologies to anyone for that.

Tom served as a Dáil Deputy until 1987, as has already been mentioned, when he lost his Dáil seat to the former leader of the Labour Party, Deputy Dick Spring, by a margin of four votes. To most people this would be a very severe blow, but surprisingly Tommy took it in his stride. He knew the ups and downs and the cut and thrust of political life and he accepted that he had lost his seat by the smallest of margins. He was then nominated by the then Taoiseach, Charles Haughey, to serve in this House. He served with quite a number of people who are here today.

Tom was a great representative of the people of Kerry and was very active locally and nationally. He was a great source of support and strength to everyone. Even until last Christmas he was still an adviser to quite a few of what one might call the grassroots people of Kerry. They still went to him and looked on the family with reverence. I pass Tom Mac's house every week when I come and go to Dublin and I went down to Tom's just before Christmas. It was with some surprise, to be quite truthful, that I learned of his death. It was a bit of a shock to me because I did not realise he was so ill.

Tom can take a fair amount of credit for much development in Kerry, particularly the Kerry county airport, just at his doorstep. He served Kerry County Council for many years and is now succeeded by another Tom McEllistrim. He worked tirelessly for everybody. I join with other Senators in this vote of sympathy to his wife, Marie, his son Tom McEllistrim and his daughter Anne. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

Mr. Coghlan

I too would like to be associated with the warm words of tribute to Tom McEllistrim who has sadly passed on. I got to know him very well on Kerry County Council from 1991 to 1999. He had served on that council since 1967. Contrary to some of what we have read, he was very loyal to the leaders of his party and his father, Tom McEllistrim, had the honour of proposing Jack Lynch for the leadership of Fianna Fáil in 1966. He too was a thorough gentleman. He did me a turn on one occasion, though not in a political way I hasten to add, but he was that kind of man.

There is another story of which the House may not be aware. There was a great friendship between the McEllistrims and the Scarteen O'Connors. The story is often told that had communication in those days been as it is today, they might not have ended up on opposite sides.

I am informed by more senior Members that, as the Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works in 1979, Tom McEllistrim oversaw a number of improvements in the House to Members' advantage. Since 1991 I found him a fair and impartial chairman of Kerry County Council. He was a man who often said bluntly what he felt. He did not hide his views. He liked the company of politicians and he was always like a politician. He could be discreet and diplomatic, as evidenced by his response to journalists on a famous occasion when he said, "What shots?"

He enjoyed politics and the company of politicians. Those of us who knew him will miss him. I join Members of the House in extending my sympathy to his wife, Marie, his son, Tom, and his daughter, Anne Marie.

An Cathaoirleach

I wish to be associated with the tributes which have been paid to the late Tom McEllistrim and I join in the expression of sympathy to his wife, son and daughter. I ask Members to rise in their places as a mark of respect.

Members rose.