Whoops,
Final line should have followed the "inflammatory" quote.

We are all of an age where we have experienced the loss of people very close to us.
We know that the grief and sense of loss never goes away, but after a few weeks life has to go on.
We throw ourselves into our work and do not want or expect to be treated with kid gloves or wrapped in cotton wool for ever.

With Brendan that is politics.
He publicly criticised a prominent and outspoken politician knowing he could be relied on to produce a cutting and contentious reply.

I doubt he approves of some on the Left trying to use his grief and loss to gain political advantage.
That is just sick.