I first met John back in 2018 at one of my first PBP national councils in Wynns Hotel.

When the speaking was opened to the floor John stood up and spoke of how we need to be clear on our politics, how our struggles would be won on the streets and that bringing people over to our side of the argument was the most important weapon a socialist had in the fight for a better society, a fairer society.

If I’m honest he was a towering intellectual and one that you could find intimidating but he was a very open kind man and a person I came to respect greatly and to form a great friendship with.

When I was around John I would ask him questions in relation to our politics and especially around the mindset of those people who would be very right wing he would always take time to answer my questions and do so in a very affable way.

I had the pleasure of Johns company on many private social events and you would see another side to John, he would always be smiling and happy and I found we both shared a love of cinema we even took in a directors presentation of Mike Lees Peterloo in the IFI and like that John was one of the few people who got up and asked a probing question about the movie we had just seen and you could see the director knew he was dealing with a man who was very well versed on the subject so no bluffing here.

It was John who advised me to read about the Black panthers and their shared fight for people with disabilities and like that he would ask me about the failings of the state towards people with disabilities in Ireland.

He would always say to me we were doing a great job highlighting this inequality and it was a fight that had been overlooked for too long by socialists as with the rest of society, and he felt people didn’t really know how to engage with PWD but that was changing and he loved to hear Sophia speak he said it made him so happy to hear her calling out racsism and discrimination and he wished more adults could see the world through her eyes.

Just a week ago John rang me and asked would Sophia like to speak at the united against racism rally that was being held near the spire and she was delighted to be asked plus she would have an opportunity to bully me along with another great freind Memet, John laughed as they both slagged me off stating Sophia would be the next PBP TD. John had a copy of his latest piece for me as he had seen some flak I’d gotten on social media once again John was watching out for us.

I want to extend my deepest condolences to Mary and all of Johns family, to his close friends in the party and all of those who called John a friend and comrade, he will be greatly missed and his writings will be mulled over for a long time to come.

Rest In Power.