Tributes paid to Fianna Fáil Councillor who died while canvassing

Tributes are being paid to a Fianna Fáil Councillor who died while campaigning for his party in County Limerick.

Councillor Joe Crowley, who was in his fifties, collapsed as he was canvassing near Limerick city with local TD Willie O'Dea.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin said he was saddened by the loss of a good colleague.

The Irish Examiner reported that Joe Crowley, who was elected to Limerick city and county council in 2014, was canvassing for Mr O’Dea yesterday when he collapsed.

The married father-of-three, from Westfield Park in the city, was later pronounced dead in hospital.

Earlier this month, Mr Crowley, who was in his early 50s, spoke out about a health scare which stopped him working for six months and encouraged men his aged to get checked.

Paying tribute to Mr Crowley, whom he knew for over 25 years, Mr O’Dea said: “He was an extremely affable man. Everybody he met liked him. He had a keen interest in the community and did an awful amount of work for his community. His loss is immeasurable.”

Mr Crowley, who was director of marketing and communications for Mr O’Dea during the 2011 elections, had been going from door to door on the canvass yesterday afternoon when he collapsed outside a house.

Mr O’Dea said: “We had a couple of teams out canvassing and he was with a particular group in Drumbanna which is just outside Limerick city.”

He is survived by his wife Christine, daughter Vivienne, 23, and his sons Andrew, 21, and Hugh 18.

Very sad to hear the news coming from limerick today about the loss of our colleague Joe Crowley

— John Brassil (@BrassilJohnTD) February 15, 2016

‘A last Stand on the Hustings’ A tribute to Joe Crowley a true Limerick Man.
Shocked & Saddened to hear of the... https://t.co/GHTKPWGROO

— DJH Limerick (@djhlimerick) February 16, 2016