Victor Boyhan honours Dr Mansell's peace and agricultural legacy
Victor Boyhan delivered a condolence speech in the house, expressing his deepest sympathies to Dr Mansell's wife Elizabeth, his children and his former political colleagues and friends. He praised Dr Mansell's contributions to the peace process and his lifelong commitment to agriculture and community life.
Condolences and cross-house respect
Victor Boyhan told colleagues that although Dr Mansell had been a loyal supporter of Fianna Fáil and an activist, he worked and collaborated with political people across the houses. He emphasised Dr Mansell's trustworthiness and his readiness to be entrusted with responsibilities related to Northern Ireland and the peace process.
Role in the peace process
Boyhan recalled that the president highlighted Dr Mansell's assistance with the Good Pride Day Agreement and that the Taoiseach praised his exceptional devotion to the cause of peace. He said those qualities - being a straight talker and trusted partner - made it easy to do business with Dr Mansell and underpinned his contribution to the broader peace process.
Personal background and interests
Boyhan described Dr Mansell's deep roots in Tipperary and a house in South Dublin, and noted his love of agriculture, forestry, antiquities and the bloodstock industry. He also underlined Dr Mansell's active and proud membership of the Church of Ireland and his interest in Church of Ireland affairs and history.
Views on Irish unity and the Good Friday Agreement
Boyhan said Dr Mansell believed in the potential for a united Ireland based on trust and respect and in the island's potential in agriculture, food, industry and commerce. He warned against complacency and said the Good Friday Agreement stands as valid today and must continue to be supported to build greater understanding, diversity, respect and cooperation.
Closing remarks and thanks
Boyhan concluded by expressing sorrow for the loss and thanking Dr Mansell for his service to Dol Ehran and to Sianna Dharan, acknowledging his public service and legacy.
We publish thousands of recordings to make Irish politics transparent and resistant to manipulation. Spotted an error? Report it — together we are building a reliable archive of Irish politics.
Victor Boyan. Thank you. I want to join with you as the leader and our colleagues and members of this house to express my deepest sympathies to Dr Mansell's wife Elizabeth, his children and his former political colleagues and friends. At that point there were many. While he was of course a loyal supporter of Fianna Fáil and an activist, he had worked and collaborated with political people right across these houses and I think that was one of the universal features of him, his collaboration and how he could be trusted and entrusted with various responsibilities but particularly in relation to Northern Ireland and the peace process on the island of Ireland. Up to Rhona Heron, Michael D Higgins highlighted Dr Mansell's enormous assistance with the Good Pride Day Agreement and he highlighted also his very significant contribution to the broader and wider peace process and I think he did it very eloquently and I want to salute and acknowledge that here too. The Taoiseach who then signed the Good Pride Agreement, Bertie O'Hearn, the leader, former leader of Fianna Fáil, greatly and I think encapsulated Dr Martin's many qualities, calling him and I quote, quote, a straight talker who everyone trusted, as I said in the beginning, everyone trusted and when people trust you and respect you, it's easy to do business with you and you have confidence to do business with them and I think that is the hallmark of his career and as a person himself. The Taoiseach Micheál Martin spoke of Dr Mansell's exceptional devotion to the cause of peace guided by a profound knowledge of that diverse history and the context of that diversity on this island. Senators and TDs of course will be aware that he was a member of both of these houses. Indeed he was a member of the agricultural panel and I want to acknowledge his very generous advice and guidance. I knew him well. He did of course have a house in South Dublin of which I visited many times but of course his deep roots were in Tipperary. He was born in England as you said but he was truly a nationalist, a republican in this truest sense of the word republican and he embraced all of that. I sort of think you know many ways he was an unusual pair or comrade or friend of Charles J. I in some ways if you look back on it but he wasn't really that unusual because he had a love of agriculture, he had a love of antiquities, he had a love of forestry, he greatly spoke about Charles Gerard Parnell and Avondale and Horace Plunkett, the great advocates of forestry and agriculture in the very early stages and the foundation of this state. They were loves of his. He had a huge interest in the bloodstock industry as most people have in Tipperary indeed and a great love and affinity of the land. He was a member and a proud member and an active member of the Church of Ireland and took a great interest in all Church of Ireland affairs and that is something that the Church of Ireland are very proud of. He was of course had a great interest in the history too. So I just want to say that Martin loved Ireland. He had an affinity and a love for Ireland, this place, this island. He truly believed in the potential for a united Ireland based on trust and respect and the enormous potential for the island of Ireland in agriculture, in food, in industry and in commerce and really hoped that the success of the Good Friday Agreement would continue to grow. I finish on this point. The Good Friday Agreement stands as valid today as it did over 25, 26, 27 years ago. We must not be complacent as Martin wouldn't want us to be. We have to continue to work to build greater understanding, greater diversity, greater respect and cooperation with each other to ensure a lasting peace for all the people that live on this island. I am sorry for his loss and I thank him for his service both to Dol Ehran and to Sianna Dharan.
Thank you for downloading 🙏
If you publish this material on social media, we would be very grateful if you tagged VideoParliament. It helps us reach more people and keep building a transparent archive of Irish politics.
