Tributes following death of 'legendary Cork character' Con O’Leary

Con O'Leary lived and ran his shop in Gurranabraher on Cork's northside and 'relished his nickname — Con the Robber'

Con O'Leary lived and ran his shop in Gurranabraher on Cork's northside.

Tributes have been paid following the sudden death of outspoken former Cork city councillor, Con O’Leary, a well-known shopkeeper who served the city’s northside for over 50 years.

Mr O’Leary, who lived and ran his shop in Gurranabraher, was elected as an independent councillor to the then Cork Corporation in the city's former north-central ward in 1991 and again in 1999.

He fell ill on Friday while on holiday in the Canaries with family members and died in hospital there a short time later. He was in his late 70s. Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced.

He was predeceased by his wife Ann and is survived by their four daughters, Lorraine, Tina, Deborah and Aisling.

Cork Lord Mayor Cllr Kieran McCarthy, who hosted a reception for Mr O'Leary just before Christmas, led the tributes, describing him as "a legendary Cork character".

“Con was very active in Cork Corporation and represented his constituents with much passion regularly speaking up on several social issues, which affected citizens and pushing for positive change,” he said.

“He will always be known as a legendary Cork character with much wit but whose caring efforts not only benefitted Gurranabraher but also the wider city.” 

Con O'Leary (fourth from left), receiving a presentation from Lord Mayor Cllr Kieran McCarthy and Michael O'Connell, Chairperson Gurranabraher Credit Union. Also included are Con's daughters Lorraine Sheehy, Tina O'Brien and Deborah Kenneally, at the Gurranabraher Credit Union 60th Anniversary Celebration, at the Metropole Hotel, Cork. Picture: Jim Coughlan.

Tanaiste Micheál Martin, who served alongside Mr O'Leary on the city council in the early 1990s, said he served his community with "great commitment and generosity for half a century", and recalled his "great wit and charm".

Former Lord Mayor of Cork and former Labour councillor Mick O’Connell, knew Mr O’Leary for over 30 years, through politics and the credit union movement.

“Con may have been a small man, but he had a huge presence,” he said.

“He was a very intelligent guy, with a great way about him. He had a lot to say and a great way of saying it.

And he relished his nickname ‘Con the robber’ - that was his trademark.

“As well as his contribution to local politics, he made an enormous contribution to the credit union movement.

“We in Gurranabraher Credit Union were going through a difficult patch in the early 2000s and we needed someone strong, with character and leadership, and we were very lucky to have Con on the team, as chairman of the board, at that time.

Independent Northside Cllr Ken O’Flynn described Mr O’Leary as a “beloved figure in the community” with who always had his fingers on the pulse.

A member of the former Southern Health Board, he called in 1997 for a debate on the issue of assisted dying – a matter which is currently being examined by an Oireachtas committee.

He was also an Irish director for the 199-member European Cities Against Drugs and played a strong role in various local drug strategies over the years.

He made three unsuccessful attempts at a Dáil seat – in the 1992 general election, in a November 1994 by-election and again in 1997, when he stood for The National Party.

But he made national headlines in 1998 when he sued his own local authority for a substantial sum for injuries he received when he fell on the steps of Cork's City Hall after attending a corporation meeting.

He eventually agreed an out-of-court settlement for an undisclosed sum, believed to have been £30,000.