Tributes paid following death of former Mayor of Fingal, Gerry McGuire

The death has occurred of the former Mayor of Fingal, Gerry McGuire. He served as Mayor of Fingal in 2011-12.

He was co-opted onto Fingal County Council in July 2003 to replace long-serving Labour Party councillor and TD Seán Ryan, who was obliged to stand down following the abolition of the dual mandate which allowed members of the Oireachtas to also serve as councillors.

Mr McGuire was subsequently elected to the Council in 2004 as a councillor for the Swords Local Electoral Area which, at that time, included his Donabate base

He served as the Chairperson of the Housing Strategic Policy Committee from 2004 to 2009. He was re-elected as a councillor in 2009 but lost his seat in the 2014 local elections. He served on the Eastern Regional Authority and the Northern Area Health Board and was also a member of the Donabate and District Sports Association and the Donabate Housing Co-Operative.

Originally from Tullamore, Co Offaly, where his father also served as a Labour Party councillor, he moved to Donabate in the 1960s and worked in St Ita’s Hospital where he was a founder member of the Psychiatric Nurses Association.

The Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Howard Mahony, said: “It is with deep sadness that I learned of the death of former Mayor, Gerry McGuire, who served as a councillor on Fingal County Council for 11 years and was a dedicated representative for the people of Donabate. On behalf of all my fellow councillors, past and present, I would like to extend our sympathies to wife Mary, sons Brendan and Alan, and daughters Ciara and Darina.”

The Chief Executive of Fingal County Council. AnnMarie Farrelly, said: “Gerry McGuire was a dedicated community activist who worked very hard over the years for the people of Donabate, and also represented the people of Fingal for one year when he was elected as Mayor. I would like to extend the sympathies of everybody at Fingal County Council to his family and friends.”   

His funeral mass will take place on Wednesday at 11am in St Patrick’s Church, Donabate. Further details are available at https://rip.ie/death-notice/gerry-mcguire-donabate-dublin/529022

A minute’s silence, in memory of the former Mayor, will be held at tonight’s monthly meeting of Fingal County Council.