Former government minister and MEP Gene Fitzgerald left a legacy of achievement at community, county, national and European level, Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment, Micheál Martin told mourners at Mr Fitzgerald's funeral yesterday.
Mr Martin recalled Mr Fitzgerald's commitment to the GAA and Fianna Fáil and his service to the country as both Minister for Labour from 1977 to 1980 and minister for finance from 1980 to 1981, and later in the European Parliament where he served as an MEP for 10 years.
Delivering the graveside oration at St Oliver's Cemetery, Mr Martin recalled how Mr Fitzgerald brought many of the qualities he had shown as an administrator with the GAA into his work as a full-time public representative.
"Gene, throughout his life, epitomised the essence of the GAA in its purest form. His work with the GAA was a clear precursor to his later life as a politician and minister. He brought those same qualities of integrity, decency, commitment and intelligence to bear on public life."
Mr Martin recalled how Mr Fitzgerald was first elected in Mid-Cork in a byelection in 1972 with almost 50 per cent of the vote and he remained very popular in Cork, being re-elected throughout the 1980s when he moved to Cork South Central.
Mr Martin said Mr Fitzgerald recognised early in his tenure as minister for labour the key role of training and education to economic progress and set up many new training centres across the country under Anco.
As minister for finance, he demonstrated his commitment to the vulnerable by very significant increases in social welfare payments, said Mr Martin, adding he also emphasised the importance of social progress while representing Munster as an MEP.
Leading the mourners at yesterday's funeral mass for Mr Fitzgerald at the Church of the Real Presence in Curraheen in Cork city were his wife, Noreen, his daughters, Aileen, Áine, Niamh and Eimear, and his son, Aindrias, as well as his sister, Mamie, and brother, Dan.
Among the many mourners were former taoiseach, Albert Reynolds, current Fianna Fáil TDs, Michael McGrath and Martin Mansergh, and former Fianna Fáil TDs, Danny Wallace and John Dennehy, as well as former Fianna Fáil minister Brendan Daly from Clare.
The mourners also included former Fianna Fáil MEPs, Paddy Lalor and Jim Fitzsimons, who served with Mr Fitzgerald in Europe, Fianna Fáil general secretary, Seán Dorgan, and Fianna Fáil national organiser, Seán Sherwin.
Among the other figures from Fianna Fáil were Cllrs Frank O'Flynn, Kevin O'Keeffe, Mark O'Keeffe and Maurice Ahern from Cork Co Council, and Cllr Michael Cahill from Kerry Co Council, as well as other party members from Cork city and county.
Other mourners included the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Donal Counihan, the Bishop of Cork and Ross, Dr John Buckley, chairman of the port of Cork, Dermot O'Mahoney, former chairman of Bord Gáis, Dr Michael Conlon, and Cork businessman, Willie O'Brien.
Among the many figures from the Cork county board of the GAA were county secretary, Frank Murphy, chairman, Mick Dolan, treasurer, Pearse Murphy, PRO Bob Ryan, development officer, Jimmy Murphy, and central council delegate, Bob Honohan.