Patrick J Hillery - A patriot to his bones — rest in peace

Former president Patrick J Hillery was laid to rest yesterday following a state funeral in which the country did him and his family proud.

It was a fitting tribute to a man who made so many contributions to Irish life.

In more than 20 years in active politics, he served in cabinet in four different ministries. He went on to serve as this country’s first European commissioner and he served two terms as the sixth president of Ireland.

Some of the greatest changes in modern Ireland began with the appointment of Seán Lemass as taoiseach in 1959. One of his more inspired choices was that of Dr Hillery as minister for education, because it was he who emphasised the need for equal educational opportunities.

At the time tens of thousands of Irish people were emigrating annually and they were going without the proper skills. Only 10% of the children of semi-skilled and unskilled parents stayed in full-time education beyond the age of 15. They had virtually no chance of attaining a third-level education.

“To him, cherishing the children of the nation meant offering all our citizens the chance to participate fully in the social and economic life of our country,” Tánaiste Brian Cowen reminded the gathering at the graveside yesterday. In this Dr Hillery was fulfilling the dream of the founding fathers of the state.

He expanded vocational training and laid the foundations of the comprehensive school system, as well as establishing the Commission on Higher Education, which revolutionised third-level education in this country.

Our highly educated workforce is Dr Hillery’s legacy as minister for education, and the Celtic Tiger economy is the proof of its efficacy. His quiet, unassuming efficiency should be an inspiration for all politicians.

A safe pair of hands, his political credibility had been tempered in the heat of the arms crisis and nobody doubted he had the courage of his convictions. This was important in a period of unprecedented political upheaval. During his first seven-year term as president, for instance, the office of taoiseach changed hands six times. Two different governments were brought down in the Dáil, and the people voted for a change of government at four different general elections.

Dr Hillery refused to allow his office to be used for political purposes and thereby established a firm, valuable political precedent. He was the ideal man for the office at the time.

His office became involved in controversy, but this was the result of the political upheaval. It never had anything to do with his actual conduct, which was always irreproachable.

To quote Brian Cowen, who put it so eloquently: “Paddy Hillery was a proud son of Clare; a true son of Ireland. He will long be remembered with the greatest of respect and with the deepest of affection.”

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam uasal.