Mr Michael Moynihan, the former Labour TD for Kerry South, has died. Mr Moynihan (84) was first elected to the Dail in 1981 after six attempts, first standing in 1954.

He won the first Labour Party seat in Kerry South and was appointed minister of State at the Department of Trade, Commerce and Tourism in 1982.

Involved since 1938 in the trade union movement, when he began his working career as a psychiatric nurse at St Finan's Hospital, Killarney, Mr Moynihan was a member of the national executive of the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union.

He had been a senator, a member of Killarney UDC, and a member of Kerry County Council. He also sat on several committees, including the Co Kerry VEC.

Mr Ruairi Quinn, leader of the Labour Party, yesterday paid this tribute to Mr Moynihan:

"He will be hugely missed by a devoted family. He devoted his entire life to helping people throughout Kerry. He represented and fought on behalf of workers and small farmers for all of his political life."

He never gave up, despite numerous general election defeats.

"There are very few people who would invest so much energy, effort and perseverance in order to serve the people," Mr Quinn said.

Trade union leaders also paid tribute to him. Mr Patsy Cronin, who took over from Mr Moynihan as branch secretary of SIPTU in Killarney, said:

"He was a giant in industrial relations terms, absolutely brilliant and superb in relation to anything of an industrial relations nature."

Mr Sean Counihan, chairman of Killarney UDC, said he had been "a tremendous leader".

Mr Moynihan retired from national politics in 1992. His daughter, Ms Breeda Moynihan-Cronin has retained the seat for Labour and was selected last Monday as the party's candidate in the next general election.

Mr Moynihan is survived by his wife, Mai, his daughters, Breeda and Catherine, and sons, Maurice, John and Michael.