This article is from page 63 of the 2008-05-06 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 63 JPG
THE Lord Mayor of Cork, Donal Counihan, has paid a warm tribute to the late President Hillery, describing the Clare man as “the epitome of all that was statesmanlike”’.
Mr Counihan, who, for three years, lived in Corrovorin, Ennis while working for Clare County Council, said Dr Hillery was characterised by ‘“‘an impeccable integrity”’.
“His innate decency and humil- ity and the qualities of being able to ‘walk with kings’ while at the same time relate so sincerely with ordi- nary people.”
Mr Counihan praised Dr Hillery’s work as minister for education when
he paved the way for the establish- ment of regional technical colleges.
“In his next role, as minister for industry and commerce, he saw the move for greater protection and safe- ty in industry for workers and the then vexed issue of industrial rela- tions. This led to the establishment of a Department of Labour and his appointment as the first minister for labour.”
Mr Counihan said that, while ex- ternal affairs minister, Dr Hillery showed a steely resolve by turning up on the Falls Road in Belfast at the height of the Northern troubles. Thereafter he travelled to the UN in New York, drawing the attention of the world to the plight of Northern
Nationalists.
“This personal mettle was again demonstrated when he faced down at a Fianna Fail Ard-Fheis a group who did not fully share his democratic national instincts on the resolution of the Northern question.”
Mr Counihan went on to praise Dr Hillery’s term as EU Commissioner and his decision, despite personal reservations, to become President of Ireland in 1976.
“He fulfilled this role with dignity and commenced a process whereby the President became much more en- gaged with Irish society and particu- larly with communities throughout the country. His display of profound loyalty to the State and the proprie-
ties regarding the Presidency in par- ticular became manifest when he granted a dissolution to a Taoiseach despite pressure from his political colleagues not to do so.
“On a personal level, I had the great pleasure of meeting him intermit- tently over many years past and have gladly accepted invitations to Aras an Uachtaran. On these occasions, he felt most relaxed when recounting anecdote stories of political and per- sonal events and it was a great pleas- ure to have had the rare opportunity O) Ml oLesuNTcam bem Obmere)esl Oy: DEhVA
“As a presidential couple with his wife, Dr Maeve Hillery, both set an excellent example and were univer- sally admired.”