Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

First, I acknowledge the contribution made by the Cathaoirleach regarding the great John O'Mahony. I got to know John in 2016. On my first day in the Seanad, John's wife sat beside my wife in the Public Gallery and they had a wonderful conversation and chat. Catherine was pregnant with twins at the time and John and his wife told us they had twins and the whole lot. It was an amazing affair. Over that period, between 2016 to 2020, John became a very close friend of mine. My office was on floor 3 in Leinster House and John was sharing an office with Paudie Coffey on the same floor. Theirs was the go-to office to know what and when was happening in Leinster House and what was going down. John really was a pure gentleman. He was a solid character. He was so solid when it came to advice and advising me as a young Senator coming into place, on what I needed to do and how I needed to conduct myself. I considered him a very good friend. He is an awful loss to us here. I really miss John. His death leaves a void that will be very hard to fill. He stepped out of politics in 2020. We stayed in contact for so long on the phone. However, John delivered so much for politics, sport and society. I pass on my sympathies to his wife and his family. He really was so proud of his family. He often spoke about them. As a GAA man, he had an unbelievable knowledge of football, something I do not have. I might have a bit of knowledge of hurling but John really had that wonderful knowledge of football and he always willing to share it. Society is at a loss because of the passing of John. I pass on my sympathies to John's family and to all the members of the GAA family, the Fine Gael family and the wider Mayo family on the passing of the great John O'Mahony.