Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 22 Oct 1975

Vol. 285 No. 1

Deaths of Member and of Former President: Expressions of Sympathy.

The Taoiseach

The Dáil will have learned with deep regret of the deaths during the Recess of the former President and Taoiseach, Éamon de Valera and of our colleague, the former Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance, Henry Kenny.

The untimely death of our colleague, Henry Kenny, has robbed this House of one of its most popular Members. He won the respect and the admiration of his constituents for the devoted manner in which he carried out his public duties both as a Dáil Deputy and as a member of local bodies in his native county of Mayo for more than 20 years. For the past two-and-a-half years he served with distinction as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance with responsibility for the Office of Public Works. Henry Kenny's qualities of gentleness and humour endeared him to all in this House.

As Leader of the Opposition, as Minister for External Affairs, as President of Dáil Éireann, President of the Executive Council and as Taoiseach, Éamon de Valera was a Member of Dáil Éireann for more than 40 years including nearly 24 years as head of Government. For a further 14 years he served as President of Ireland. Mr. de Valera has been President of the Council and President of the Assembly of the League of Nations. He was the recipient of high honours from the Holy See and from heads of other States. During his period of office as President of Ireland he was host to heads of State and other distinguished visitors.

I would ask you, a Cheann Comhairle, to convey the very sincere sympathy of the Members of this House to Major Vivion de Valera and to the other members of the late Mr. de Valera's family and also to the widow and family of the late Henry Kenny.

I bhflaitheas Dé go raibh a n-anam.

Mr. J. Lynch

Táimid buíoch den Taoiseach as ucht an méid aduirt sé faoi Éamon de Valera, iar-Uachtarán na hÉireann agus iar-Uachtarán Fhianna Fáil. On three occasions immediately after the death of Mr. de Valera I paid public tribute to his memory and on each of these occasions I said that no word of mine could be adequate in paying such a tribute.

For all of us on this side of the House and indeed for countless thousands of Irish people at home and abroad Éamon de Valera, for more than half a century, epitomised our aspirations for the re-unification of our country, for the advancement of its culture and for the development of its economy. In all of these spheres his contribution was enormous. No man has ever been more dedicated in the service of his country than has Éamon de Valera. As a Member of this House both as Head of Government and as Leader of the Opposition, he set a standard that few, if any, will ever reach. His influence will survive for as long as Irishmen and women are prepared to render patriotic service to their country and the value of his life's work for Ireland and its people will endure for all time.

Is fíor a rá faoi Éamon de Valera nach bhfeicfimid a leithéid arís. Go dtuga Dia suaimhneas dá anam dílis.

Although it is unusual to pay tribute from the Opposition I would like to take advantage of this occasion to pay tribute also to our late colleague in this House, Deputy Henry Kenny, former Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance. Each of us here endorse what has been said by the Taoiseach regarding the late Mr. Kenny—of the popularity he enjoyed and the high esteem in which he was held but, perhaps, above all, the courageous manner in which he faced what he knew to be a terminal illness. I have already conveyed the sympathy of this party to Mrs. Kenny and her family. I do so again now formally and I wish to be associated with the Taoiseach's expression of sympathy to the Kenny family.

Members rose in their places.