The President of Ireland Michael D Higgins is leading tributes to the late Mary O’Rourke.
The former Government Minister, once known as the ‘Mammy of the Dáil’ died yesterday aged 87.
Family members posted the following online;
Her warm personality as well as her shrewd and magnetic approach to politics and politicians has been hailed by President Higgins (full statement here).
While politicians from across the political divide have been paying tribute to her – An Taoiseach Simon Harris said she was a force to be reckoned with while the Tánaiste Micheál Martin noted the following;
Carlow Kilkenny Fianna Fáil TD John McGuinness considered her a friend as he’s been telling KCLR News’ Edwina Grace;
While Kilkenny man Naoise Nunn has been sharing his memories too;
Mr Nunn told KCLR News; “I brought her in as one of the honorary ceann comhairles, she was brilliant fun, had really entered into the spirit of making politics and making debating and so on really inaccessible and fun and had great craic with the speakers, slagging them off, she had a great sense of fun, a great sense of humour but she could be fairly caustic at times as well and I got the lash from her on a couple of occasions when I wasn’t quick enough coming back to her by email, by phone so I would say from a personal point of view I think she added a sense of fun and humanity to politics that’s sometimes lacking”.
On The KCLR Daily former Senator Mick Lanigan and Cllr Deirdre Cullen joined our Brian Redmond;
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