Today is the 125th anniversary of the death of Charles Stewart Parnell, one of the greatest Irishmen of all time and I would like to mark the occasion. He served as leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party and was the "Uncrowned King of Ireland". He played a significant role in the land reform and Home Rule movements. His death occurred 25 years before the 1916 Easter Rising.

If he had lived and succeeded, without the scandal involving Kitty O'Shea - am I allowed to mention her?

It is not relevant to the Order of Business.

I am terribly sorry that, 125 years later, she is still not allowed to be mentioned in the House.

On this occasion, I support Senator Terry Leyden.

I compliment T. Ryle Dwyer on his excellent article in the Irish Examiner which states Charles Stewart Parnell felt the brunt of the church over his personal life. He was badly treated by it and it should offer an apology for its treatment of him. He was undoubtedly one of the most gifted parliamentarians this country has produced. He had 80 members in his Irish Parliamentary Party and brought about developments in the House of Commons which changed the course of history.

This is interesting but rambling. It is not relevant to the Order of Business.

It is significant to mention it.

The Senator may well think so and may be right, but I am talking about what is relevant to the Order of Business.

His last speech was made in Creggs, County Galway where a monument was erected by the people of the area and opened by Eamon de Valera in the 1940s.