Council pays tribute to retiring ‘Irish Examiner’ reporter Donal Hickey

Spontaneous and warm tributes by councillors and management were yesterday paid to Irish Examiner journalist Donal Hickey at his last county council meeting after almost half a century.

Mr Hickey, a staff journalist with the Irish Examiner, began life as a reporter with The Kerrymanand The Corkmanand is retiring shortly, the meeting was told.

Kerry mayor and Fine Gael councillor Pat McCarthy suspended proceedings to tell the meeting that one person in the press who had been covering council meetings “a long, long time” was doing so for the last time.