THE former Mayor of Limerick, Kevin Kiely, has died in his native Treaty City.
Mr Kiely, who had held a Fine Gael seat on Limerick City Council for over a decade, passed away overnight following an illness.
The 64 year old was elected the 813th Mayor of Limerick in 2009. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2012.
Mr Kiely was first elected to the Council chamber in 1985, lost his seat in 1991, but regained it again and continued working as a local representative until he retired from the Council in 2014.
The father of two, of Bellfield Gardens, Ennis Road, was chairperson of the inaugural joint policing committee in Limerick. Earlier, in the 1980s, he was appointed a peace commissioner by former Fine Gael leader Michael Noonan.
Mr Kiely left Fine Gael after the party did not select him as a candidate for the 2011 General Election. He ran as an Independent candidate that year, but he failed to reach the quota.
Often outspoken on social issues, Mr Kiely was also well known in his standing as the proprietor of the Treaty Bar, Thomondgate, renamed the Thomond Bridge Bar, which was later turned into a coffee house under new ownership.
Mr Kiely left school aged 14 and worked as a telegram boy and a postman. After retiring from political life, he returned to education in his 50s and graduated from University of Limerick with an Honours Diploma in Drugs and Alcohol Studies.
Paying tribute to Mr Kiely, Fine Gael Minister and Limerick City TD Kieran O’Donnell, said: “I wish to extend my deepest sympathies to his wife Doreen, son Kevin, daughter Koreen and extended Kiely family, on the very sad passing of former councillor and Mayor of Limerick City, Kevin Kiely.”
“Kevin served the people of Limerick City passionately over many years on Limerick City Council and as Mayor of Limerick and will be warmly remembered by us all.
”I saw first-hand how committed Kevin was to represent his constituents. Kevin will be greatly missed by everyone, but my thoughts today are with his family for whom this is a very deep personal loss.
“Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.”
Fine Gael party leader, Tánaiste Simon Harris, said that “Kevin dedicated decades of his life to public service in Limerick. He was first elected to the City Council in 1985 and served his community with real passion and determination.”
“He was someone who cared deeply about the people of Limerick’s northside and about the future of the city he loved. Whether it was championing community safety, securing funding for the Dockers Monument or advocating for better services for children with additional needs, Kevin is someone who stood up for his community.
“He was a proud peace commissioner, a member of the Governing Authority of the University of Limerick and above all a dedicated public servant.
“My thoughts and sympathies are with Kevin’s wife Doreen, his family, his friends and all who knew him across Limerick.”