Search
04 Apr 2026
Search
04 Apr 2026
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
The coffin carrying the remains of Emmet Stagg being borne out of St Brigid's Church in Straffan after this morning's Funeral Mass
The Funeral Mass of former TD Emmet Stagg in Straffan heard he was a dedicated family man and a hard working politician who valued social justice and public service.
Mr Stagg died peacefully at St. Brigid's Hospice, The Curragh on St Patrick's Day.
The congregation at St Brigid's Church in Straffan also heard that Mr Stagg would be forever remembered by the village of Straffan and the county of Kildare.
He is pre-deceased by his parents Henry and Mary, brothers Joe, Patsy, Proinsias and Michéal, and his sisters Rosaleen and Veronica.
Mr Stagg is very deeply mourned and missed by his wife Mary, son Henry, daughter Gillian, daughter-in-law Niamh, son-in-law Ken, his adored granddaughters Nessa and Cara, his brothers Sean and George, sisters Maureen, Brid, Siobhan and Martha, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, cousins and a wide circle of friends.
President Michael D Higgins and Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik have led tributes to Mr Stagg.
In a statement, President Higgins said: "Emmet Stagg will be remembered by all those with whom he served in Leinster House for his generosity and kindness towards all of his colleagues, and indeed for his respect for people in all parties.
"Emmet embodied the spirit of the Labour Party in its best sense. This was delivered in his weekly and daily service to his constituents, where he was one of the most hardworking TDs that I can remember in my time in Dáil Éireann. Indeed, no one could keep up with the pace at which Emmet worked for his constituents during his 29 years of unbroken service as a TD from 1987 to 2016."
Labour Party leader Ivana Bacik said: “Emmet was a pillar of Labour politics, both in Leinster House, and in Kildare, and he will be greatly missed by all who knew him. He was kind and considerate, and maintained a keen interest in Labour politics even after leaving the Dáil.
"Those of us who knew him as a friend and supportive mentor over many years are particularly saddened by the news of his passing. Outside of politics he also had a keen interest in gardening and fishing, and regaled us all over the years with many stories."
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
