‘He was different, fun and he was funny’

“HE was different, he was fun and he was funny.”

The side to Garret FitzGerald that people who knew him only as a serious and deep-thinking academic and politician and never saw was revealed by his three children at the end of the funeral Mass.

Mark FitzGerald, the younger of his two sons, recounted to laughs how, on Easter Sunday, his father told him one of his grand-daughters had asked him why her grandmother, Garret’s late wife Joan, had a fear of flying.

“He said it was possibly something to do with the fact that when he was in Aer Lingus, he used to read the near-miss reports in bed.”

There were other small insights into the man behind the iconic figure.

“He built great sandcastles and made wonderful pancakes and he was the one and only person ever to get on to a Ryanair flight without photo ID.”

Mark FitzGerald paid tribute to the many doctors and other medical staff who had cared for his father over the years — especially as they were dealing with an extraordinary patient.

“Not many people would ask for the latest exchequer figures while dealing with respiratory failure but Garret did.”

He said the family had been overwhelmed by the goodness and goodwill shown to them in recent days and to the praise for their father’s part in helping to create a modern, pluralist and peaceful Ireland.

But he said his father would be the first to acknowledge that everything he achieved, he did so as part of a team.

“The success of Fine Gael would not have been achieved without the work of unsung heroes who give their time voluntarily to support democracy.

“And Garret wasn’t just proud of Fine Gael, he was proud of working with Labour in government.

“Out of shared endeavour came many lifelong friendships in both parties.

“As a child of post-Civil War reconciliation, Garret greatly appreciated the fact that political opponents were never enemies and could often be friends outside the political arena.”

John FitzGerald thanked the various government departments and agencies, their counterparts in the North and in Brussels for all the help and friendship shown to their father during his years in politics.

He revealed that as late as last February, Garret had visited the European Commission and was still developing ideas and cultivating friendships.

In a tribute that raised laughs, he gave special thanks to the staff of the Central Statistics Office.

“For over half a century you enthralled my father. He was your biggest fan and also probably drove you mad.”

Mary Deane, Garret’s daughter, spoke of her father’s great joy in being part of a large and close family and to sustained applause she expressed her gratitude to Garret himself. “We want to thank our beloved father himself for all his love and companionship and for teaching us so much, showing by example how to be a good citizen, a good friend and a good parent.”