PUBLIC representatives and members of the public gathered at the Norwood Estate, Ballybrack recently to remember former Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader Seán Lemass.
Mr Lemass was born at Norwood Lodge in Ballybrack in July 1899.
He became one of the most prominent Irish politicians of the 20th century and served as Taoiseach from 1959 until 1966.
A veteran of the 1916 Easter Rising, the War of Independence and the Civil War, Lemass was first elected as a Sinn Féin TD for the Dublin South constituency in a by-election on 18 November 1924.
He was returned at each election until the constituency was abolished in 1948, when he was re-elected for Dublin South-Central until his retirement in 1969.
The former cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown, Cllr Cormac Devlin and Seán Haughey TD were on hand to rededicate the Lemass memorial at the entrance to the estate.
Cllr Cormac Devlin paid tribute to the late Mrs Maureen Haughey, daughter of Seán Lemass, who passed away on March 17 this year.
Noting Mrs Haughey’s attendance at previous Lemass commemorations over the years, he recalled “Mrs Haughey was a wonderful lady. She always had a kind word or nugget of wisdom to impart. She will be sadly missed by her family, the entire Fianna Fáil organisation and indeed the public at large.”
Cllr Devlin gave a history of Norwood Lodge, before highlighting the achievements and natural leadership qualities of Seán Lemass.
Cllr Devlin and Deputy Haughey then unveiled a new entrance stone, which replaced an older memorial that had been damaged in recent years.
Members of the Lemass, Haughey, O’Connor and O’Brien families attended the ceremony, along with Senator Gerry Horkan, Cllr Jim Gildea (FG) and a large contingent from Dún Laoghaire Fianna Fáil.