Residents of the Co Tipperary village of Bansha were coming to terms yesterday with the loss of an immensely popular local TD, following the sudden death of Mr Michael Ferris.
Many of them had seen Mr Ferris six days ago when he attended a funeral in his home village. "He was in great form, shaking hands with everybody," said Mr Willie Barry, a local butcher.
Mrs Mary Maher, who knew Mr Ferris since his schooldays, described him as "very genuine and helpful. He used to be laughing at me because all my family were Fianna Fail and I was always getting him to do things. He was very good to Bansha and the people here, irrespective of the political party they supported."
His first wife, Josie, who died in 1978, was "always encouraging him", said a family friend, Mr Billy Esmonde. "She would tell him to keep going, that he would make it."
The couple had five children - Grainne, Michael, Tom, Bernard and Gerard. After Josie's death he married Ellen Kiely in what friends describe as a memorable ceremony at St Cormac's Chapel on the Rock of Cashel.
His daughter from this marriage, Catherine, is a Leaving Certificate student at St Anne's secondary school in Tipperary town, where Mr Ferris has lived in recent years.
Despite his intense political schedule, he found time to be involved in numerous local activities and was president of the Bansha Agricultural Society.
The society organised an annual Christmas party for senior citizens, at which Mr Ferris acted as master of ceremonies. In the past he took part in local musicals and was "a fine singer", said Mr Esmonde. "His favourite song was Peggy Gordon."
Friends worried about his heavy schedule, particularly since he underwent major heart surgery during a visit to South Africa in 1994. His death in Portugal on Monday was the result of a brain haemorrhage.
His sudden death came as a shock, "because he was so energetic", said Ms Breda Marnane, who runs the local post office with her husband, Patsy.
Constituency colleagues from rival parties paid tribute to Mr Ferris. "He had a great grasp of social welfare and agriculture," Minister of State Mr Noel Davern said. "He was a tenacious and consistent performer and was always well researched in whatever cause he was pursuing. He gave a very high standard of political representation to the constituency."
Ms Theresa Ahearn, a Fine Gael deputy, said she was "deeply shocked" at Mr Ferris's death. "He was a thorough gentleman. As a political colleague I found him very pleasant to work with. He might have an argument with you, but it would be about an issue and he would never personalise it."
Mr Ferris is also survived by his mother, Mrs Mary Ferris (94), and a sister, Josephine, who lives in England. His body was due to arrive at Shannon Airport late last night.
His funeral takes place in Bansha tomorrow.
Tributes were paid to Mr Ferris in the Seanad yesterday. Mr Maurice Manning (FG) said Mr Ferris had brought his qualities of decency and honesty to bear on everything he had done in politics. A minute's silence was observed for the late TD, who had been a senator for eight years.
