Kathleen Funchion Pays Tribute to the Ailward Family
Kathleen Funchion addressed the Ailward family, offering sincere sympathies and recalling Bobby's kindness and support to newcomers. She recounted meeting him in 2009, remembered running against him in the 2015 by-election, and praised the family's long service to Kilkenny.
Tribute and condolences
Kathleen Funchion welcomed the Ailward family by name - Helena, Trina, Bob, Mark and the grandchildren - and expressed sincere sympathies, noting the difficulty of the loss in the run-up to Christmas.
Early encounters and support
She said she first got to know Bobby in 2009 after her election to the council, when she was new to the elected system. She recalled that although Bobby was not on the council then, he was a TD and was "extremely helpful and extremely kind" to her as a newcomer.
2015 by-election memories
Funchion remembered getting to know Bobby better during the 2015 by-election, when they were rivals. She said they "honestly had some of the best times" during that campaign, and that Bobby could always be laughed with and was very helpful with procedure and public-speaking nerves.
Praise for family members and local service
She also paid tribute to Liam and Councillor Eamon Aylward, saying her experience of them was one of being "unbelievably helpful, unbelievably kind". Funchion emphasised their commitment to the constituency and to the good of Kilkenny, and closed by offering her sympathies to Helena and the wider family.
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Cahirleach and to welcome the Ailward family, Helena, Trina, Bob, Mark and also the grandchildren, particularly it is great to see the kids here, I know that has been said already, and very sincere sympathies to you, particularly in the run-up to Christmas, it is a very difficult time, I got to know Bobby first in 2009, I was only elected to the council, and really was very new to the whole elected system, and although Bobby was not on the council at that time, he was a TD, he was extremely helpful and extremely kind, and then I got to know him even better during the 2015 by-election, because I was running in that by-election too, and we honestly had some of the best times during that, obviously we were rivals, but at the same time, he just was, you could always have a laugh at Bobby, you really could, and he was so helpful, particularly somebody new coming into a system and you are not always sure of procedure and the nerves around speaking publicly and everything, and he was incredibly kind, incredibly helpful, and I have to say that has been my experience as well, of Liam and also of Councillor Eamon Aylward, who I had served on with the council for a few years, unbelievably helpful, unbelievably kind, and really, really working for the constituency, really, really working for the good of Kilkenny and Carlo Kilkenny, and just our sincere sympathies to Helena and to the wider family, thank you.
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