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EXPRESSIONS OF SYMPATHY for Independent TD Jackie Healy Rae are to be held in the Dáil today.
The South Kerry TD passed away on the 5 December 2014, however no expressions of sympathy were heard in the Dáil at the time, according to his son, Kerry TD Michael Healy Rae.
Michael Healy-Rae, succeeded his father in the Dáil in 2011, and was later joined by his brother Danny Healy-Rae, who took a Dáil seat in 2016.
Though some time has passed since his death, his son Michael told TheJournal.ie that it is a “fitting time to remember” his late father following the recent local elections.
Had his father been alive today, it would have been a “special occasion” to see three of his grandchildren getting elected to Kerry County Council, with Michael stating “it all started with him”.
Michael’s son, Jackie Healy-Rae junior managed to secure a seat in this year’s local elections, as did his cousins Johnny and Maura Healy-Rae.
Maura stood in Killarney, Johnny stood in Kenmare and Jackie stood in Castleisland.
Jackie Healy-Rae was the founder of one of the country’s best-known political dynasties and served as an independent TD for Kerry South from 1997 to 2011.
Born just outside Kilgarvan on 9 March 1931, John Patrick Healy acquired the ‘Rae’ part of his surname from the local townland where he born.
He was educated locally before emigrating to the US in the 1950s. He returned later in the decade and played hurling and football with local teams.
In the 1960s, he established a plant hire business and also acquired a local pub in Kilgarvan which is still going today and is run by his son, Danny.
Fianna Fáil links
Healy-Rae’s political involvement dates back to the 1960s when he headed several by-election campaigns for Fianna Fáil, most notably the election of John O’Leary in 1966.
He was co-opted onto Kerry County Council as a Fianna Fáil member in 1973 and was the party’s director of elections in Kerry South for much of the 1970s and 1980s.
However, Healy-Rae quit Fianna Fáil in controversial circumstances prior to the 1997 general election when the party failed to nominate him as its candidate in Kerry South.
Though some five years has passed since his death, it is common practice for members of Dáil Eireann to pay tribute to former TDs that have died.
Last week, expressions of sympathies were heard for Fine Gael’s Richie Ryan and John Browne. The chief whip’s office said the Independent group recently asked for time to be set aside to pay tribute to Jackie Healy-Rae, and that was granted for this week’s schedule.
https://soundcloud.com/the-explainer-podcast/the-explainer-how-have-the-healy-raes-never-lost-an-election
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Know two with long covid. No joke, totally knocked both. Both lads one mid 30s other mid 50s.
Hope this young lady returns to 100%
@Tom Ripley: the ‘open everything’ crowd wont like to read this.
Sounds very like those who suffer with autoimmune diseases like lupus, MS, Crohn’s disease, UC, AIH, Rheumatoid arthritis, Psoriatic Arthritis, PSC, PBC and many others. The fatigue, the flares, lack of empathy from employers etc.
@Serge the llama: I have Psoriatic arthritis but luckily my medication I has worked wonders for me and I’m able to do most of the things I want to do. But you’re right, before I was diagnosed and could barely walk down the stairs, the lack of understanding was staggering.
@Serge the llama: many of those illnesses are starting to be linked to underlying #MCAS. Could count on 1 hand the Drs with MCAS or MC awareness.
Good article, well said Eilish, I hope you make a full recovery very soon and that your comments are heeded.
Most of us can appreciate nurses and the work they do. That said, is it reasonable to elevate them alone when about 3 times as many of their colleagues have the same issues and remain silent, I’m not questioning that some are seriously ill, so are many other people. I don’t believe anyone should be penalised for being ill and that there should maybe arrangements made for all healthcare workers who became ill as a nature of their work, not just nurses alone.
Maybe everyone could clap for them again?
@cryptodon: that was the UK not Ireland.
@Eamonn Martin: obvious Trolling
There is no question about it anyone who is in this situation should not have to worry about getting paid.they should be paid in full and not have sick pay reduced or taken into account later when they return to work
I’m a firefighter and have been out of work with long covid since December and can relate to all the issues in the article. Unfortunately for everyone in this 2 tier society if you don’t have private health insurance you can’t access post covid clinics. The HSE needs to step up now and help public patients get back to work. The whole scenario is extremely frustrating.
@Eamonn Martin: Hope you never get it so.
@Eamonn Martin: are u ready for the backlash sir :), enjoy
COVID-19 Hyperinflammation & Post-Covid-19 Illness may be linked to newly recognised Mast Cell Activation Syndrome.
See a paper here
@Thomas O’ Donnell: So do I Tommy. If I do, I hope I don’t die or suffer long effects. Doesn’t mean the world should be on hold because of that tiny risk though.
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have your say