You could have heard a pin drop in the Midlands Park Hotel on Saturday night when a packed function room – there for a centenary celebration of Fianna Fáil, attended by Taoiseach Micheal Martin – heard from former Laois-Offaly TD and Minister Liam Hyland.
Hyland, who will be 93 in April and was described by Micheal Martin when speaking to the media before the event as “the extraordinary gentleman of Irish politics”, was the last speaker of the night.
He spoke at length – eloquently, powerfully, passionately – about the past, the present and the future.
He told the gathering of his immense pride at having served the people of Laois as a councillor, senator, TD, minister and MEP in a career that spanned the best part of 40 years.
Though he acknowledged his voice didn’t have the same force as it once had, the oratory skills certainly haven’t deserted him.
Touching on the past, he remembered his own father Joe, a man who lost a farm and was interned in the notorious Tintown prison camp in the Curragh for his role in the War of Independence.
Referencing Fianna Fáil’s role in Ireland’s independence and emergence as a Republic, he said he can vividly remember in his lifetime when Portlaoise was still regularly referred to as Maryborough and Laois as the Queen’s County.
Fianna Fáil was formed in May 1926 and the dinner in the Midlands Park Hotel on Saturday, attended by more the 350 people, was the first event in what is a national year of celebration for the party.
Hyland praised Micheal Martin, saying he’ll go down in history as “a great statesman” and he had strong words of appreciation for Micheal’s wife, Mary O’Shea, also in attendance, for her selfless supporting role over the years.
He told young people not to be afraid to step forward into leadership roles and that politics can be a most fulfilling career.
His address – which was delivered not from the stage where the rest of the speeches were made but from a table in the floor of the room alongside his family members – was acknowledged with a standing ovation.
It was an evening organised by the local Fianna Fáil Comhairle Ceanntar under the stewardship of chairman William Delaney and secretary Eimhin McEvoy, both of whom were among the speakers.
A piper had led Micheal Martin and his wife into the hotel while there was a museum-esque vibe to the lobby area and the reception room itself, adorned with old Fianna Fáil election posters and slogans.
Eamon De Valera, Sean Lemass and Jack Lynch were particularly prominent in the memorabilia. Charlie Haughey was notably absent, so too Bertie Ahern, though he had been invited and sent a letter of apology.
There was also apologies from another former Taoiseach, Brian Cowen. His brother Barry, a former TD for Laois-Offaly, and now an MEP was in attendance and at the top table.
Shane Moynihan, a TD from Dublin Mid West, and chairman of the party’s centenary celebrations was also in attendance as was Fintan Phelan, the current Mayor of Carlow, and also a full-time member of Fianna Fáil’s head office staff in Mount Street. Senator Fiona O’Loughlin from Kildare South was among the guests too.
Laois Fianna Fáil councillors Catherine Fitzgerald, Paschal McEvoy, Seamus McDonald, John Joe Fennelly and Padraig Fleming were all out in force as well while apologies were sent by Paddy Bracken, who was struck down with sickness.
There was also a special welcome for members of the Pakistani and Ukranian communities who were in attendance and have engaged strongly with the party locally in recent years.
There was considerable acknowledgement of former TDs by current deputy Sean Fleming as he spoke about those who had been elected to the Dáil in Laois over the years – beginning with Thomas Tynan from Ballybrittas in June 1927, a man who had the unwanted distinction of being a TD for just 65 days as he lost his seat in the election in September of that year.
Patrick Gorry from Kilcavan, Peadar Maher from Abbeyleix, Paddy Lalor from Abbeyleix, Liam Hyland from Ballacolla and John Moloney from Mountmellick have been the only other Fianna Fáil TDs from Laois, the small number an acknowledgement of how long-serving they have all been.
Peadar Maher’s brother-in-law Ned Donoghue (who is married to Peadar’s sister Nuala) was in attendance. Paddy Lalor’s daughter Frances was among the gathering too and responsible for many of the historical items on display.
John Moloney and Liam Hyland were there themselves, joined by family and supporters.
There was also a significant presence too from the Connolly family, from just across the border in Bracknagh whose father Ger was first elected a TD in 1969.
Portarlington was Ger’s local town where he got considerable support across his various elections but there was sometimes disquiet within the party that he was coming into Laois.
Sean Fleming drew a good laugh from the crowd when he recalled the story of Connolly being told to stop at the Barrow bridge in Portarlington and “not to be coming into county Laois”.
“Ger said ‘the only bridge I’ll stop at is the bridge at Graiguecullen on the Carlow border’.”
Fleming also remembered former Fianna Fáil senators from Laois – James Martin from Ballickmoyler and Kieran Phelan from Rathdowney.
Photo: Alf Harvey.
He too referenced younger supporters of the party. “When it comes to Fianna Fáil, be brave and be strong and come into the party and have your say … the door is always open to younger people coming through.”
Micheal Martin in his speech – which opened and finished with considerable blocks in Irish – said “I’m particularly happy that the first event marking this centenary year is here in Laois, a county which has always been a bedrock for the party”.
“Through good times and bad, Laois Fianna Fáil has always been one of our strongest local organisations – known for its commitment to our party’s values and the democratic republican tradition which has defined us from our first days.”
“Over the past century Laois has had a long record of electing Fianna Fáil representatives who have made important contributions locally, nationally and in Europe,” he added.
“Laois has returned deputies who went on to serve as ministers, committee chairmen and highly influential voices in important debates.
He went on to pay particular praise to Seamus McDonald, who “Two years ago, won his ninth election in a row and last year was honoured for his 40th year as a Fianna Fáil member of Laois County Council.”
On his colleague Sean Fleming, he said he is one of the “most hard working and reflective and thoughtful members of Dáil Éireann”.
“He has played a significant role in the renewal of our party.”
With a captive audience, the Taoiseach predictably went through a long list of Fianna Fáil’s achievements and spoke warmly of their early days and past. One stat that drew particular joy from the crowd was a reminder that Fianna Fáil are the largest party in the Dáil, in the Seanad and in Local Government.
And everything is local too. Cllr Catherine Fitzgerald was the only councillor to speak, on her base in Portlaoise and as the only female speaker of the night.
She told of her own deep roots in Fianna Fáil. “My grandmother fundraised on streets of New York for De Valera,” she said proudly before recalling her own early years of involvement, beginning out and about with the legendary local councillor Joe Dunne.
“It was the best apprenticeship ever,” she said, welcoming Joe’s family. “How proud Joe would be to see his grandsons Conor and Ross playing football now for The Town,” she added. Many of Joe’s family were at a table too.
Among the key presentations on the night was to Micheal Martin of a framed original iconic ‘Welcome to Fianna Fáil Country’ poster from the 1970s. Making that presentation was Dan Carmody and Pat Malone, two stalwarts of the party.
Indeed even the cake had that same slogan on it.
It was that type of night.
Check out a selection of images from photographer Alf Harvey below.
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