As Cork Folk Festival remembers Séamus Creagh, Richard Fitzpatrick hears about a brilliant musician who was also a much-loved man

To be fair, we should all acknowledge that the Seanad has given us such people as Mary Robinson, Donie Cassidy, Christy Kirwan and David Norris.

Senators of all parties work just as hard, if not more so, than their Dáil counterparts, says John Whelan

FIVE former taoisigh were among the mourners who attended Garret FitzGerald’s funeral — three Fianna Fáil office-holders, Brian Cowen, Bertie Ahern and Albert Reynolds, along with John Bruton and Liam Cosgrave of Fine Gael.

A FORMER leader of the Seanad brought a close to the election count by imploring newly elected members to fight for the continued retention of the Upper House.

FIANNA Fáil leader Micheál Martin has failed to get a number of his preferred candidates elected to the Seanad.

FIANNA FÁIL leader Micheál Martin has named former finance minister Brian Lenihan as his deputy in a move that could make it harder for the party to disassociate itself from previous failures.

THE next government must tackle the growing challenges for the retailsector by introducing a new code of practice aimed at making the industry more transparent and ensuring “fairness and equity within the sector”.

THE President, Mary McAleese, and her husband, Dr Martin McAleese, were among the hundreds of mourners at the Mass of the Angels for little Léana Martin.

SENATOR Donie Cassidy said last week it was important that TDs and senators had a reasonable income to ensure the profession continued to attract capable people.

POOR Senator Donie Cassidy having to live on €65,000 a year or so.

SEANAD leader Donie Cassidy has apologised for suggesting it was “not easy” for senators with families to get by on €65,000 a year.

IT’S “not easy” for senators with families to get by on €65,000 a year, Seanad leader Donie Cassidy has said.

IT must be hard to score a hole in one when one’s in a hole – but can’t stop digging.

THE Ivor Callely expenses saga took an extraordinary twist last night as the senator blamed turmoil in his personal life for the size of his travel claims.

IVOR always gets there in the end – even if it is by the scenic route.

FOUR out of five senators are double-jobbing or have extra incomes on top of the €70,000-plus paid to them by the State for working just three days a week, 34 weeks a year in the Upper House.

MORE than 1,000 people attended the funeral of MEP Brian Crowley’s brother, Flor, yesterday including Taoiseach Brian Cowen and former taoiseach Albert Reynolds.

THE fundamental question is whether we need, or want, the Seanad. If, as I believe, the answer is no, then the question of reform does not arise.

THE Government could face difficulty passing major pieces of legislation including the measures in December’s budget and the National Assets Management Agency (NAMA) Bill because it no longer holds the majority in the Seanad.

IT DAWNED on him pretty quickly.

POSTURING has begun ahead of the by-election to fill the Dáil seat vacated with Pat ‘The Cope’ Gallagher’s departure for Europe.

THE very least you would expect of professional politicians is that they would be able to speak for themselves and be capable of forming a coherent thought.

The Seanad is to hold a rare Friday sitting today to push through emergency legislation to introduce the public service pension levy.

The Seanad is to hold a rare sitting on Friday to push through emergency legislation to introduce the public service pension levy.

LAST Sunday, in the midst of the pork scandal, I was aghast to see TV footage of our Taoiseach in Mullingar unveiling a statue to Joe Dolan.

TDs and senators have called on the energy regulator to stall all proposed gas and electricity price increases for a year to ease costs for cash-strapped businesses.

SENATORS yesterday made history as they sat for almost 22 hours in order to pass emergency legislation to stabilise the banking sector.

Senators today made history as they sat for almost 22 hours in order to pass emergency legislation to stabilise the banking sector.

THERE is a contrast between Europe and America but not a contradiction, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern told the joint houses of Congress yesterday.

SENIOR figures within Fianna Fáil have strongly signalled a preference for an agreed candidate to succeed Bertie Ahern as party leader and taoiseach.

TDs and Senators are travelling to Westminster next month to investigate the feasibility of establishing a dedicated Oireachtas TV channel.

A NON-DRINKING senator has irritated colleagues by suggesting several of them are in no position to debate alcohol abuse because they like a drink themselves.

Ireland could attract the best brains in Europe if it fosters a cutting edge science and innovation environment, an Oireachtas Committee heard today.

Northern politicians could have permanent representation in the Irish Seanad, it emerged today.

ALL college graduates will be entitled to vote in Seanad elections within 12 months under an extensive process of reform, Fianna Fáil’s new leader of the Seanad pledged yesterday.

Fianna Fáil’s Pat Moylan was today formally elected unopposed as Cathaoirleach of the new Seanad.

The new Seanad will meet for the first time today to formally appoint a cathaoirleach and leas-cathaoirleach.

A FIANNA FÁIL bid to force the two Kerry Dáil constituencies into a single five-seater has met strong resistance from its ownactivists on the ground.

The new deputy leader of the Seanad today vowed to change the upper house’s reputation as an expensive “talking shop”.

A daring theft of National Wax Museum figures will not stop next month’s re-opening of the tourist attraction, it emerged today.

The Labour Party is celebrating Seanad success this morning after picking up a new seat in the labour panel election.