Fergus Finlay: David Norris exits the political stage with the respect of every one of us

'Everyone who has ever worked in the community and voluntary sector in Ireland will know that David Norris will never turn down a request. He’ll turn up to support ideas, to raise funds, to thank donors, to entertain a crowd. And he’ll always do it with a smile. And a bottomless supply of charm.'

Some years ago, back when I worked in Barnardos, my colleague Meriel Reeves told me that David Norris had asked her for a favour (I think they had a personal connection). He was distraught, he said, because his barber had just retired. That good man had apparently managed David’s beard for years and kept it just the way he liked it.

Thinking about how to manage this crisis, David came to the conclusion that one of the other people whose beard (at least on a good day) had the look and shape he was after, was me. So Meriel was tasked with finding out discreetly who my barber was, and if my barber would be available for a referral.