DONAL CAREY’s service to political life has been hailed with the send-off received at his recent funeral fitting for his contribution to the county.
Elected members of Clare County Council voted to adjourn their December meeting by fifteen minutes as a mark of respect to the former Clare TD and ex Junior Minister who died peacefully at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) a fortnight ago.
Proposing the adjournment, Cllr John Crowe (FG) who contested against Carey for the 2001 selection convention to determine who would be on the ballot for Fine Gael for the 2002 General Election recalled his career as “a long serving politician for Clare, he served as Cllr, Senator, TD and Minister of State over a 41 year period”.
Cllr Crowe said, “He was an icon in Clare, he was there to represent all the people which did an outstanding job at, his door was always open for anyone in need or a chat. He has led a strong tradition of a Fine Gael family in the county with his son following on as a TD. The Careys have been renown for helping and supporting people within Clare and always putting Clare first in Dáil Éireann”.
Seconding the call for an adjournment, Cllr Tom O’Callaghan (FF) stated, “he was always community focused”. Praising Carey’s contribution to public life, Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) noted, “we had many a forum and election count with Donal Carey and Madeline Taylor Quinn, we had battles but he was a gentleman”.
Ennis based Cllr Pat Daly (FF) recounted, “Donal was a great friend of my family, he met his wife at my sister’s Anna wedding. He will be sadly missed”.
Clare’s longest serving county councillor, Michael Begley (IND) told the meeting, “I might be the only one in the Chamber to serve with him in the Council in 1991, long before that we were delegates to Co Board, I always find him to be a gentleman.”.
How Donal created a political dynasty was flagged by Cllr Gabriel Keating (FG), “Donal was unique in many ways, a councillor, a TD, a Senator and a Minister of State, he was a great GAA man, the Carey family was a dynasty for many years”.
Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Cllr Paul Murphy (FG) a close family friend of the Careys extended his sympathies to Donal’s children Leonora, Joe and Donal Jnr and grand-children. “His brother Seamus passed away in the UK last week so they have had a double tragedy”. He added, “He got a huge send off with people from the GAA, political and greyhounds world, he came from near and far to get a huge send off”:.
Councillors stood for a minute’s silence before adjourning their December meeting for fifteen minutes as a mark of respect.
