Flowers and fond farewells

There were flowers and farewells in the fourth-floor corridor on Monday when Catherine Butler, who had been personal assistant to Senator Martin McAleese, finished up in Leinster House.

When politicians resign or lose their seats, there’s a big fuss. The political staffers who work for them in the background are the collateral damage.

Back in the day, the very able Ms Butler was personal assistant to Charlie Haughey. After his retirement she continued to help out, visiting him twice a week until his death.

She became company secretary at Seán Mulryan’s Ballymore Homes and also worked for many years in Toronto as the director of Galen Weston’s corporate office.

Having taken time out to care for a sick relative, Ms Butler found herself back in Leinster House after McAleese asked her to work for him.

Following his surprise resignation from the Seanad three weeks ago, she has been working out her notice, fielding the deluge of inquiries from national and international media which came into his office in the wake of the Magdalene report’s publication.

“I loved my time with Dr McAleese – particularly his work with DCU and on issues in the North. He was a pleasure to work for,” she said. “And it was also a great privilege to get to talk to the Magdalene ladies . . . They are absolutely marvellous women.”