There was a huge Fine Gael gathering in Munster last weekend at a This Is Your Life-style celebration in Fermoy to mark the 80th birthday of former deputy for Cork East Dick Barry. Party leader John Bruton was guest of honour and RTE's John Bow- man acted as MC. Guests included deputies Enda Kenny, Bernard Allen, Paul Bradford, P.J. Sheehan and Liam Burke, Senators Maurice Manning and Liam Cosgrave, MEP John Cushnahan and FF junior ministers Noel Davern and Ned O'Keeffe also came along.
Dick's daughter Myra Barry recalled the time when they were both sitting TDs. On a Tuesday, she said, her father would be trying to get her up in the morning with the words: "Hurry up, hurry up, the train won't wait for us." On a Thursday evening she would be rushing him along in the Dail bar with the same words: "Hurry up, hurry up, the train won't wait for us."