Mary O’Rourke ‘succeeded and flourished’ in male-dominated political world

Former Fianna Fail curate Mary O’Rourke had specified a “strong property and character” that she could win and flourish successful a male-dominated governmental world, mourners astatine her ceremonial were told.

The ceremonial of the erstwhile teacher, politician, broadcaster and author, who died past Thursday astatine the property of 87, took spot successful her autochthonal Athlone, Co Westmeath.

Ms O’Rourke was archetypal elected to the Dail for Longford-Westmeath constituency successful November 1982, and went connected to go curate for education, wellness and nationalist enterprise.

She was lawman person of Fianna Fail from 1994 to 2002.

Among those astatine her ceremonial were President of Ireland Michael D Higgins, Tanaiste and Fianna Fail person Micheal Martin and different governmental dignitaries.

A fig of Fianna Fail TDs formed a defender of honour arsenic the ceremonial procession made its mode into Our Lady Queen of Peace Church successful Coosan.

Her son, Aengus O’Rourke, said his parent had a “deep involvement successful politics” and Fianna Fail to the precise end.

“That was heightened of precocious with the predetermination connected the horizon,” helium added.

“In mum’s last days, the substance that truly exercised her astir of each was, well, volition it beryllium November oregon February? It’s a pity she passed earlier she knew the reply to that question.

“But I’m hopeful, though, with each the governmental firepower that we person successful Athlone, we mightiness get an reply retired of 1 of them.

“Mum was the eventual nationalist representative. And portion the close attack for anyone successful nationalist beingness is that you enactment household first, and the household would travel first, but the occupation for mum was that she considered everyone arsenic family.

“The cardinal was ever successful our doorway successful Arcadia, determination was ever idiosyncratic successful the room with a cupful successful 1 manus and a sandwich successful the other.

“Mum saw everyone arsenic deserving of adjacent clip and adjacent attention. She went beyond the telephone of duty, peculiarly for those who are marginalised oregon successful immoderate mode disadvantaged.

“She was truthful organised, she was thorough, she was nonrecreational and ever honest. And for each of those qualities, Feargal and I and the household would beryllium everlastingly arrogant mum. It was a fascinating situation to turn up in.

“In mum’s relationships with household and friends, she was a pillar of strength, emotion and loyalty, her dedication to us, her family, it was ever deep, it was ever solid. She was ever affirmative and encouraging. We ne'er mislaid her to politics. She was ever there.”

Her grandchildren took respective commemorative items to the altar, including a photograph of her with her precocious hubby Enda, and a Fianna Fail emblem, a paper and her memoir.

Her lad Feargal O’Rourke said: “In her past 7 oregon 8 weeks she was successful perfectly super, ace form. She was corruption free. You’d spell successful each day, the glasses would beryllium on, the Irish Times would beryllium dismembered. She’d person gone done each the sections.

“She’d person questions astir you, she’d person questions astir the kids. She’d person questions astir the governmental issues of the day, and it would ever spell backmost to politics.”

Fr Patrick Murphy told mourners that it was “no large surprise” that she would participate politics, pursuing successful the footsteps of her father, Patrick Lenihan and her brothers, Brian Lenihan and Paddy Lenihan.

He said: “She was the archetypal pistillate elected to Athlone Urban District Council successful 1974 and this was astatine a clip erstwhile fewer women were progressive successful section oregon nationalist politics, but Mary was blessed with that beardown personality, with that beardown quality that allowed her to participate and to win and to flourish successful what was a precise antheral dominated space.

“Her governmental achievements person been good documented, and her committedness to nationalist work is good known passim the country.”

He added: “Throughout her life, she worked tirelessly successful the work of others astatine section level, she strived to amended the lives of those she was elected to represent.

“At nationalist level, she served arsenic legislator and TD, arsenic curate for education, curate for health, curate of nationalist endeavor successful assorted governments passim a agelong governmental career.

“Over galore years, she has been a regular commentator and contributor connected the vigor and television. She often wrote articles and sentiment pieces for assorted regular and Sunday newspapers.

“And due to the fact that of each this, this precise nationalist life, we each had a consciousness that we knew Mary O’Rourke.

“Through her spoken and written words, she enlightened us, astatine times challenged america and adjacent entertained america with her humour and her wit.

“Her publication to nationalist beingness has been enormous, but authorities and nationalist work was lone portion of who Mary was, household was astatine the bosom of what was astir important to her. She was devoted to her family.”

Mr Martin praised her arsenic curate for education.

“When she archetypal became a subordinate of the Oireachtas successful 1981 everyone could spot that this was not idiosyncratic who was conscionable determination to marque up the numbers oregon to softly bash what she was told,” helium said.

“She spoke up and she made herself heard from the archetypal time to the last.

“Of each of the offices she held the 1 which stands retired is her four-year play arsenic a dynamic and reforming curate for education.

“She was curate astatine a clip of precise terrible fiscal restrictions, yet she was determined to marque Irish acquisition much inclusive, much modern and much effective.

“She implemented changes which person had a heavy and affirmative interaction connected the improvement of our country.

“As we accidental goodbye to her determination are simply excessively galore areas wherever she made a quality to beryllium capable to database them all.  But passim her vocation you find the aforesaid themes, the aforesaid motivation.

“She was a consistent, beardown and determined dependable for societal progress, maturation and inclusion successful Ireland.

“She believed that women and girls should ever beryllium supported, ever encouraged to talk up and besides ever beryllium listened to.

“She worked for and celebrated each measurement towards gathering a much divers and inclusive society.

“She was arrogant to beryllium a person successful Fianna Fail’s progressive enactment tradition, truthful profoundly linked with Sean Lemass, who saw successful the Lenihan household radical who shared his imaginativeness for gathering a caller Ireland.”