Hundreds gathered at St Joseph's Church in Carrickmacross this afternoon for the funeral mass of Dr Rory O’Hanlon.
Dr Rory O’Hanlon was a member of Dáil Éireann for the Cavan-Monaghan constituency from 1977 until his retirement in 2011.
He was Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann from 2002 until 2007 and previously held office as Minister for Health (1987-1991), Minister for the Environment (1991-1992) and Leas Cheann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann (1997-2002).
Dr Rory O'Hanlon was born in Dublin in 1934 and grew up in Mullaghbawn, Co Armagh, before graduating in medicine from UCD in 1959. In 1965, the Local Appointments Commission sent him to work as a GP in Carrickmacross, where he worked for the County Council.
Speaking at his funeral mass today, Monsignor Shane McCaughey said politics was central to Dr Rory’s life: "From South Armagh he was steeped in the true republican traditions. The failure of the Border Commission left many in the six counties on the wrong side of a divide and left unfinished business in terms of national identity for so many.
"His father was part of the republican movement at the time of the Rising and would have stood on the anti-Treaty side in the turbulent years that followed partition. Rory took the challenge of addressing the republican and nationalist desire very seriously, and in UCD he joined Fianna Fail and like his cousin Paddy O’Hanlon, co-founder of the SDLP, endeavoured to achieve by peaceful means equality, justice, and inclusivity for all Irish people."
At today's funeral mass the President was represented by her Aide-de-camp, Commandant Catherine Barret. The Taoiseach was represented by his Aide-de-camp Captain Dermot Hoey, however An Taoiseach attended the burial in Mullaghban, Co Armagh and delivered the oration.
Chief Superintendent Alan McGovern and Inspector Colm Treanor represented An Garda Síochána. Members of the Government along with other members of Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann were also in attendance, as was members of local authorities, representatives of the Le Cheile Education Trust and the St. Louis Sisters.
Monsignor Shane McCaughey also highlighted Dr Rory’s dedication to support those with special needs: "Dr Rory along with others in 1966 set up a facility in the Holy Family Hall for these children. These would be collected by volunteers and brought to the Hall to provide relief for parents and family and education for the children themselves.
"The venture was so successful that it soon outgrew the Hall and in 1973 a new centre was established in Cootehill, where it retained its original identity and became the Holy Family School educating special needs people from Cavan and Monaghan.
"Dr Rory was so proud of this, and of all the awards and accolades accrued locally, nationally, or internationally, a painting created by the school children’s fingerprints, to mark his 90th birthday has pride of place in his home."
Monsignor McCaughey thanked the family of Dr Rory O'Hanlon for sharing him in many way with so many people throughout his 92 years. He told those in attendance: Dr Rory was a husband and a parent first of all, but was so much more than that in his medical field and his political endeavours. Family was central to his life and with the discreet support of Teresa in the home he was able to devote much of his energy to serving the needs of his practice as a doctor, and the needs of the constituents as a public representative."
