Madam, – In what has been a historic week for all of Ireland, I mourn the passing of my hero Garret FitzGerald and more importantly a hero of all Ireland and Europe. He personified, and his memory will continue to personify, the European vision of Jean Monnet and Robert Schuman. I too will miss greatly his corner of Saturday’s Irish Times. Truly we are less for his passing, but enriched by his legacy. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Some years ago Dr FitzGerald bought an item from our shop. When I pointed out that he had made the cheque out for €20 more than the actual price, he looked around, leaned over the counter, put his finger to his lips and said, “Sshh . . . If this gets out I’ll be ruined, I’m supposed to be an expert on economics you know.” – Yours, etc,
Madam, – The Dáil adjourned early on Thursday as a mark of respect for Garret FitzGerald. I think a more appropriate mark of respect would have been to remain in the Dáil working for the betterment of the country. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – I had the honour to briefly meet Dr FitzGerald in 2009 in New York after he gave another distinguished talk about Ireland and the positive ways we could emerge from the financial disaster. I told him he was “my Barack Obama” of the 1980s, a politician who stood tall as he sought no personal gratification for the challenges he faced during the political turmoil of the time. His public service was a duty to be fulfilled with dignity for every man, woman and child in Ireland.
As a nation we mourn with pride our warriors of old. I suggest we should all mourn the loss of Dr FitzGerald as an economic warrior of his time; he fought every day to build Ireland as a nation with an economic foundation that served everyone equally. And this man, and the time of his passing, should be spoken about in every house and classroom as we lay him to rest. He is a true Irish warrior and his memory will live forever in the history of Ireland. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – In trying to sum up the towering figure of Dr Garret FitzGerald, perhaps I could quote from another incomparable enigma who died on the same day back in 1935, TE Lawrence:
“All men dream; but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act out their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible.” Dr FitzGerald was this “dangerous man”, a man of ideas, ahead of his time. Without his dream of a better, liberal, pluralist Ireland we would perhaps not be welcoming Queen Elizabeth II to these shores this week. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Clear values,
sound principles, the keen intelligence to enunciate
them and the moral courage to promote them. We have lost a shining example and champion. All words fall miserably short of doing justice to his enormous stature. A dheir Dé go raibh tú
Garret
le Joan, ansa do chroí. –Yours, etc,
Madam, – It is sadly ironic that Garret FitzGerald passed away during the momentous visit of Queen Elizabeth to Ireland. It is worth reflecting that without his tenacity and skill in driving through the Anglo-Irish Agreement in 1985 in the face of fierce opposition north of the Border and cynical opposition here in the Republic, the uplifting visit of the British monarch probably would not have occurred. Here was a statesman who truly did the State some service. –
PJ Mc DERMOTT,
Sheeaune, Westport, Co Mayo.
Madam, – “Garret the Good”. There was no one better. He was the best. May he rest in peace. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – As deputy editor of the University of Limerick’s student newspaper, I had the pleasure of interviewing the late Dr Garret FitzGerald when he addressed the university’s Debating Union in March. I have never seen an audience of college students so enthused and inspired by a public figure. Dr FitzGerald seemed to me to have boundless energy and an irrepressible enthusiasm that put other politicians, and indeed so many of us, to shame. Perhaps the moment that best summed this up was as proceedings were drawing to a close, Dr FitzGerald interjected: “No, no! I can answer more questions! Go on, on!”
He is an inspiration to all young people and his loss will be keenly felt by this generation of students. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – As Garret FitzGerald lay dying, Queen Elizabeth and President McAleese spoke on behalf of the people of their two countries. In her speech, Queen Elizabeth made no reference to Europe. President McAleese referred twice to the European Union, the second time emphasising Ireland’s status as an equal member of the EU with the United Kingdom.
It is heartening to know that even in the midst of a sustained media campaign in certain quarters to portray Europe as Ireland’s enemy, much of it aping the unthinking europhobia of large sections of the British press, President McAleese affirmed to her royal guest, and to all the people of these islands, that Europe is Ireland’s destiny. Garret FitzGerald can rest in peace. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – Garret the Good – Garret was great. As is said at the best of funerals he wouldn’t have wanted us to be sorrowful. We need to be inspired by a recounting of his life, so we can move on to better things and from where we now are. He displayed that true public service is both a benefit (to society) and a fulfilment to oneself. May he rest in peace. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – I read with great sadness of the death of former taoiseach Garret FitzGerald. In his candid memoir he confessed to unwittingly borrowing £10 from UDA leader Andy Tyrie – to buy a drink for unionist politicians at the Europa Hotel in 1974. I hope they will remember his many generous and honest contributions to North-South relations. – Yours, etc,