The death has been announced of former Cathaoirleach of the Seanad, Tras Honan.
Mrs Honan was the only woman to serve as Seanad Cathaoirleach since the foundation of the State and was 93 when she died in Waterford.
She was a senator between 1977 and 1992 and twice elected to the chair.
When her sister Carrie Acheson was elected to Dáil ́́́́́́́́́́Éireann they were the first sisters to serve as Oireachtas members at the same time.
Tánaiste and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said he was very sorry to hear of Ms Honan's death and offered his sympathy to her family.
He said: "Tras was a consummate and natural politician.
"She was in politics for all the right and noble reasons: to strive to improve the lives of people and their communities. She was an able and determined public representative, driven and committed.
"Tras was a trailblazer for her time, becoming the first woman elected Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann, a position she held twice. No other woman has held the position since.
"I greatly valued her friendship and advice. Even up to very recently, she was in contact, offering her support, advice and invaluable insights."
In 2022, the former Cathaoirleach returned to Leinster House for Seanad Éireann Centenary celebrations.
She is included in a collage of images depicting women Senators over the past one-hundred years, which now hangs in the Houses of The Oireachtas.
A member of the Fianna Fáil party, Mrs Honan was closely associated with Clare politics.
She was the first woman elected to the then-Ennis Urban District Council and was later elected Chairperson.
Her late husband Derry Honan and father-in-law T.V. Honan both served in Seanad Éireann.
Following her retirement from national politics, Mrs Honan relocated to Waterford.
She was subsequently appointed as Chairperson of Bus Éireann, and chaired the board of management at Mercy Primary School, Waterford.
Mrs Honan was a native of Clonmel in Tipperary and is a member of the Barlow family, she moved to Ennis in 1950 and ran the Honan family pub on O'Connell Square.
The premises became an established meeting place for locals, politicians, journalists, and broadcasters.
She was a founding member of Ennis and District Soroptimists, whose advocacy and fundraising led to the foundation of St Clare’s and St Anne’s special needs schools, and other related services in Ennis.
She is survived by her son T.V. Honan, daughter Ann Honan-Croke, her brother Aidan Barlow, her grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.
