DEAR SIR,

Padraig Walshe has been spoken about, written about and thought about by thousands of people over the past week.

His death leaves a massive gap in the lives of so many, but especially in the lives of his magnificent wife Ella and family Julieanne, Catherine, Elma and Pat and the close and wider family. Padraig and Ella were the complete couple, they made each other.

Padraig’s contribution to agriculture was very wide and varied. He was a farm leader, a pioneering dairy farmer, a grass enthusiast and innovator and involved in a wide range of organisations.

Others will list his various roles and indeed some of his more visible roles may be matched by some, but what will never be matched is what he did quietly and silently – unreported work behind the scenes: be it milk quota issues, or farm payment or other complex and important issues for the people involved.

You knew where you stood on a topic with Padraig but it was always about the topic, not the person.

When the discussion was over it was back to square one. He had so much more to give but we should be grateful for his generosity and spirit that he crammed so much into what time he was with us. He has set the bar very high for those that follow.

We will never know the half of his tireless work. It is for this and many other reasons that I say we will never see his likes again. We will miss him. Rest easy friend.