Tributes paid to Fingal’s first County Manager
Tributes have been paid to the first County Manager of Fingal, Davy Byrne, who passed away this week.
A former Assistant City Manager with Dublin Corporation, he was appointed as County Manager in 1991, three years before the Council came into being on January 1, 1994, and initially tasked, along with the other two new County Managers, to oversee the replacement of Dublin County Council with three new local authorities.
He served as County Manager until 1996 and was involved in the commissioning of the chain of office which is worn by the Mayor of Fingal. One of his final acts was to obtain approval from councillors for a new €10miillion County Hall in Swords which was eventually completed in 2000 and is still the head office of Fingal County Council.
The Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Brian McDonagh, said: “The excellent foundations which Davy Byrne laid during the transition from Dublin County Council to Fingal County Council continue to serve us well. He was our first County Manager and even though he had to manage the County from offices in Dublin City Centre he recognised the importance of the Council having a home in Fingal and made it happen.”
The Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, AnnMarie Farrelly, said: “I joined Fingal County Council from Dublin County Council and worked with Davy Byrne as he began the job of establishing a local authority in North County Dublin. It was a tough job because he was establishing something that was totally new but many decisions he took then are still positively impacting the county over 30 years later. He will always be remembered as our first County Manager and his legacy is the successful county that exists today.”
Fingal County Council extends its sympathy to his wife Betty, son Peter, daughters Anne and Helen and the rest of the Byrne family.
A minute’s silence in memory of Davy Byrne will be held before the March monthly meeting of Fingal County Council next Monday.