FORMER Deputy Mayor of Limerick Denis McCarthy, who passed away last month after a brief illness, was remembered at County Hall this week with much fondness.
McCarthy, a proud Corbally man, who originally hailed from Broadford, was first elected as a Fine Gael councillor in City East during the 2009 local election. The father-of-three narrowly missed out on being the final Mayor of Limerick City in 2013 before the Council’s merger the following year – pipped at the post to become the 817th Mayor of Limerick by Independent Kathleen Leddin.
This week as Council members returned from their summer break, their former colleague was remembered as a vote of sympathy was passed in his honour.
Cllr Dan McSweeney described Denis as a dedicated father and a beloved figure in his community.
“His dedication and leadership were quickly recognised leading to his election as Deputy Mayor. Denis’ career was marked by his passion for public service. Before his election, he worked at the Department of Agriculture, where his love of farming was evident,” Cllr McSweeney said.
Cllr McSweeney said the late former Deputy Mayor’s “deep roots in West Limerick were a testament to his character”, adding that “Denis was a thorough gentleman who represented his constituents with great enthusiasm”.
Fianna Fáil councillor Kieran O’Hanlon remembered McCarthy as a “quiet man” who was committed to public service.
“He was a man of few words, unlike some of the councillors around here, but he was very committed to his constituents,” Cllr O’Hanlon commented.
Fine Gael councillor Liam Galvin described his former colleague as “one of nature’s gentlemen”.
Mayor John Moran expressed his sympathy to Mr McCarthy’s family on behalf of the people of Limerick, saying that he “picked up particularly on his unwavering commitment to public service and he Regeneration areas, which I think a lot of were people happy with the work he’s done”.
