Tributes following death of former Cork county councillor Des O’Grady

Ms McDonald described him as “a committed lifelong Irish Republican, a true gentleman, and an unwavering believer in the power of local activism”.

“It was with great sadness that I learned that Des O'Grady passed away,” she said.

“He was a brilliant person. Des was deeply intelligent, kind, empathetic, absolutely committed to his political beliefs.

Des had infectious positivity and a great sense of humour. He made me laugh every time I met him in Cork through many years of campaigning.

She said he played an important role in growing Sinn Féin in Cork over decades, particularly in Ballincollig and in the north west of the county.

“He was utterly dedicated to achieving a reunified Ireland of equality and economic justice,” she said.

“Throughout his adult life, Des stood up for ordinary working people and for communities. He was ever present at protests. marches and demonstrations. Wherever people were standing up to the powerful you would find Des O'Grady.

"When he was elected as County Councillor in 2014, he worked tirelessly for those he represented, never giving anything less than 100%. People knew they could count on Des to have their backs.

"Des had an incredible knowledge of Irish history but his focus was always on tomorrow. As a teacher, he was a big believer in our young people. 

He wanted to help make the future better and ensure that young people had the confidence and opportunity to fulfil their ambitions in life. In Sinn Féin, he always encouraged the next generation of activists to step forward and to lead from the front.

"Des O'Grady was the salt of earth. He was honest, he was decent and he was humble. He gave so much to advance republican politics and he did it with a smile on his face. He will be greatly missed and never forgotten.

"My thoughts are with his wife Maura, his children, his grandchildren, his family and his wide circle of friends and comrades. I hope that our love, friendship and respect for Des is a small comfort as they grieve his loss.” 

Sinn Féin TD for Cork South Central, Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, who sat with him on council a decade ago, also paid tribute to him.

“He had great wisdom and was tenacious — he never accepted inadequate answers, was always very well informed, and prepared. He fought for his constituents with passion, but also intelligence. He did this without ego or without pretension. He taught me a great deal and was a huge support to me at every stage of my career,” he said.

Mr O’Grady is survived by his wife Maura and their children Jimmy, Colm, Trina and Adrian. His funeral will take place at 1pm on Monday at St Oliver’s Cemetery.