Expressions of Sympathy for Minister Shane McEntee

We are here to pay tribute to our friend and colleague Shane and, importantly, to support his family. I first met Shane in the run-up to the 2005 by-election. As we all do during such times he was canvassing seeking support for the upcoming convention. We all wanted somebody new and refreshing and on the night of the convention while all of the other candidates spoke very well Shane spoke of the Meath he loved, the party he loved and the job he really wanted to do. With much respect to all of the other candidates there was no contest that night and Shane was the winner. He went on to win the by-election. We called him the glorious by-election winner in Meath for years afterwards not only because he won but because he galvanised Fine Gael and gave us strength and reinvigorated us as a party which allowed us to move on.

Immediately he got stuck into his job. He made a mark on his new constituency of Meath East and rallied all of our members. He even convinced me to be the treasurer of the constituency. He gave energy, commitment and inspiration to all of his team, and particularly to the thousands of people he represented. At meetings he told every story in terms of football matches and he finished every meeting with a joke, most of which were rude.

His career progressed and on the day he was appointed Minister of State he was so excited. We had a meeting to appoint somebody to replace me on the council and he could not wait to leave the meeting to go to his family so he could tell his Mam and Dad, who was in hospital, personally he had been appointed as Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. He could not have been more proud and I know his family could not have been more proud either.

He loved his job. He shared himself with absolutely everybody. His confidence grew and his stories changed from football to mushrooms and strawberries, and his commitment to the land he loved so much shone through. He worked with passion, integrity and endless energy. One would be knackered on a Thursday night having worked in here and Shane would bounce into a meeting still full of beans.

Everybody who knew him will miss his care, commitment and big heart. He was a vibrant individual with a rare friendliness and a charm of personality. He was a genuinely warm and wonderful individual with a big heart.

Albert Einstein, who was apparently a very clever man, said the value of a man should be seen in what he gives and not what he is able to receive.Shane gave and gave and gave and we, his friends, colleagues and fellow county men and women were the lucky beneficiaries.

Shane was a man of his people, his place and his party. Rest easy Shane. Godspeed.