Gabhaim buíochas le muintir Aylward agus le Helena, Bob, Triona agus Mark ach go háirithe. Táimid go léir anseo chun ár meas a léiriú ar fhear grámhar a raibh sárthuiscint aige ar a mhuintir sa dáilcheantar Cheatharlach agus Chill Chainnigh. Is maith is eol dúin go léir go raibh Bobby go huile is go hiomlán ar a shuaimhneas i measc a phobail ina cheantar féin. Is fíor an seanfhocal a deir nach bhfuil aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin agus ba é sin dearcadh Bhobby. Thuig sé tábhacht na gcomharsan agus fiúntas an phobail ag comhoibriú le chéile. Duine de mhuintir Aylward a bhí ann agus seirbhís den scoth tugtha ag an teaghlach mar pholaiteoirí den scoth ag freastal ar mhuintir an dáilcheantair agus ar an tír seo. Mar pholaiteoir, deirim le cinnteacht go raibh aidhm ag Bobby a dhícheall a dhéanamh ar son mhuintir a dháilcheantair féin agus freastal air i ngach aon slí ab fhéidir leis.
The true strength of a democratic republic is never found in loud and angry speeches or the national headlines; it is found in those who do the quiet work of building a link between the communities they serve and the parliaments to which they are elected. It is found in those who have a positive agenda, always looking for ways to develop their country and always motivated by a strong sense of place and determination to serve. Everybody who had the privilege to know and work with Bobby Aylward saw this strength in him. It is important that we take the time today to remember him and the contribution he made before he sadly passed away.
The name Aylward has long been associated in this House with the great county of Kilkenny, the promotion of rural Ireland and steadfast democratic republicanism. The Aylwards are renowned for being a close and supportive family, sharing their many achievements and the burdens that can come to us all. I welcome the Aylward family today, in particular Helena, Bobby's wife, who was his steadfast partner and companion for so many years. Everyone Bobby talked to during his final illness heard from him about how important it was to him to have such wonderful support from Helena, as well as from Triona, Bob, Mark and their families, whom he loved so dearly. I also want to remember his sisters, Clare, Margaret and Kathleen, and his brothers, Liam, Pat, Morris, Eddie and Sean, as well as their families.
Bobby was also devoted to his community and country. He used his time to make a difference and leave behind him progress that will endure for many years to come. I had the privilege to get to know Bobby during his time on Kilkenny County Council, particularly when he was its chair. Together with his brother Liam, he made sure Kilkenny's concerns were always known and that the benefits of sustained progress were felt not just in Kilkenny but also in other communities throughout the region and the country as a whole.
It was during the by-election in 2015, however, that I got to know Bobby in much greater depth. Politically, that was a contest that shocked many, who could never understand that people outside this place might not just follow a national narrative. During that campaign, I saw the passion and empathy that made Bobby such a special person. I saw the humanity that made him such a close friend of colleagues and political opponents.
South Kilkenny is no ordinary place. Throughout Irish history, one will find it stitched into the narrative of our nation. In the cultural, political and social movements that have defined our history, there always has been a special place for Kilkenny. However much time Bobby spent in the corridors of the Parliament or at important meetings, it was in Kilkenny, among its people and walking its fields, that he was happiest. It is not simply that he knew his way around his constituency but that he felt a deep connection with the stories of former times, his constituency's landscape and the spirit of its people. Most of all, he had a profound understanding of the challenges and needs of his county's communities.
As every Minister for Education of the past 30 years will confirm, Bobby Aylward made an enormous effort to push for investment in local schools and seek help for children with special needs. The benefits of this work are undeniable in a network of schools, which are the beating hearts of their communities.
With the beauty of so much of Kilkenny so obvious and timeless, Bobby believed in investments that would allow people to remain in their communities. In supporting investment in roads, transport links and communications infrastructure, he was always looking to the longer term. Within Dáil Éireann and the Fianna Fáil Party, Bobby was a consistent advocate for farmers and the wider rural economy. He understood the value of building a much wider agenda than in the past and brought an intuitive understanding of this to debates, shaped by personal experience and his ability to listen to people. Price transparency and fairness for farmers comprised a very personal issue for him. The legacy of his work in putting these firmly on the political agenda has this year come to fruition in the form of ambitious new legislation. All his colleagues know that this important moment for farmers was reached because of the momentum he created.
For 100 years, the constituency of Carlow-Kilkenny had been one of the toughest in the country. It has often had among the highest quotas required to get elected and there is always huge competition. For a candidate from outside the major urban centres, it is always an enormous challenge. Bobby got a huge vote in the last election and fell short by just a few hundred votes of helping us to win an extra third seat. His continued good humour was an example to us all, giving a sense of proportion, which stood in contrast to those who put politics above everything. Bobby was a proud member of the Fianna Fáil Party and of the Kilkenny party organisation, which has always been among the strongest in the country. He could see the progress that had been achieved and he believed that the key to progress in the future was to be found in the practical republicanism of the party's founding generations. For his colleagues, he was always a trusted confidante and friend. He was a constant source of honest advice who never stopped bringing to our attention the views of the people of Kilkenny.
There was, of course, another enormous dimension to him, one where he left a major mark on a national pastime. He did this in such a modest way that many here may not be aware of it. To Bobby Aylward, hurling was not just a recreation: hurling was a deep passion and an expression of community values. Throughout his life, he played a central role in securing one of the most dominant hurling forces ever seen. His club, Ballyhale Shamrocks, is by far the most successful club team in modern hurling. Last week they won their 12th Leinster title, adding to a roll of honour that includes 20 county championships and eight all-Ireland championships. A total of 20 county hurling championship titles in Kilkenny is an achievement on a scale we can only marvel at. What is striking about this is that it has been achieved in just over 50 years. It did not come from the luck of having one group of brilliant players or a single inspired manager. You become a dominant force like this across multiple generations because you have an exceptional club and a strong tradition. Bobby Aylward was central to the success of Ballyhale Shamrocks. He served in most of the positions in the club that were important to developing its facilities and players, and he is remembered as one of the club's greatest chairmen. All who knew Bobby know that for him politics was about service, and that to be elected to represent the people of one's community was a profound privilege.
At his funeral in July his family, community and colleagues gathered in the beautiful rural church for his funeral. It was a very sad occasion but it was also an opportunity to exchange stories and to remember what made Bobby special. I was deeply honoured to be asked by the Aylward family to speak about a departed friend. In preparing for that I spent most of an evening talking to people and trying to find a way of expressing what is special and essential about the role representatives like Bobby play in democracies. I reflected then that we find in history a near constant reflection on the place of one particular type of legislator, who is the citizen farmer: that person who serves in important representative offices but who never stops being rooted in their community and the eternal link we have with the land, along with a belief in common sense and respect for others. That was Bobby Aylward.
As Taoiseach, and on behalf of the Fianna Fáil Party, I extend our sympathies to Helena and the Aylward family. I assure them that we will always remember his spirit and his services. Bhí sé paiseanta faoina chontae dúchais féin agus faoina thimpeallacht. Mo chomhbhrón arís ó chroí le Helena, Triona, Bob agus Mark, agus le gaolta Bobby ar fad. Solas na bhflaitheas ar a anam dílis uasal agus leaba i measc na naomh go raibh aige.
