A councillor, an activist, a rebel: Con O'Leary remembered as a champion of Cork city
Con O'Leary, outside his shop. File picture: Eddie O'Hare
The former Cork city councillor, Con O’Leary, has been remembered as a great servant and champion of the city’s northside, and as a beloved father and proud grandfather.
His daughter, Lorraine, told mourners at his funeral mass that he was known as many things — a councillor, an activist, a charity worker, a rebel, a friend, a neighbour, the boss, and 'Con the robber' — a nickname he relished.
“But most importantly, he was our dad and granddad,” she said.
Mr O’Leary, who ran Con’s Shop in Gurranabraher for over 50 years, fell ill while on holiday in Gran Canaria on January 5 and died a short time later. He was 77.
His requiem mass was celebrated on Friday at the Church of the Ascension in Gurranabraher by Fr Aidan Vaughan.
Mourners were led by Mr O'Leary's children, Lorraine, Tina, Deborah and Aishling. He was predeceased by his wife, Ann.
Gifts bought to the altar included a family picture to symbolise his love of family, a garden trowel, because he loved gardening, a sun hat, symbolising his love of sun and travel, and a photograph of his shop.
In her eulogy, Lorraine said her parents bought the former Molloy’s shop in Gurranabraher in 1973, renamed it Con’s Shop, and set about building the business.
“They did not have an easy time of it at first. They worked long hours, opening the shop from 7am to 11pm every night," she said.
“Dad was there almost all the time, with mum looking after the house and organising stock for the shop.
“In the early days before they could afford to hire any staff they were helped out by family members who were paid in corned beef sandwiches.
But she said through their hard work, Con’s Shop went from strength to strength.
“And last year we celebrated 50 years in business — a truly great achievement for any family-run shop,” she said.
She paid an emotional tribute to and thanked sincerely all the former and current staff who helped the family build the business.
She said Con was very proud when his grandchildren got to work behind the counter, and was especially proud when Deborah agreed to take over the business.
“He felt that with Deborah taking the lead, there would always be a little part of him there after he was gone,” she said.
Over the years, she said he was involved in the local youth club, in the over 60s club, the local Meals on Wheels, Ógra Corcaigh, Gurranabraher Credit Union, and the North Infirmary Hospital action group.
But the failure of that campaign to prevent the hospital closure in 1987 was one of the biggest regrets, she said.
His involvement in the community led him into local politics in 1991 when he was elected as an independent councillor to the then Cork Corporation in the city's former north central ward. He was reelected in 1999.
He was a member of the former Southern Health Board, and he was an Irish director for the 199-member European Cities Against Drugs and played a strong role in various local drugs 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, which rebranded a year later as the Christian Democrats.
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 to an out-of-court settlement for an undisclosed sum, believed to have been £30,000.
He had been feted by Gurranabraher Credit Union last November for his many years of service to its board, and by the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Kieran McCarthy, at a reception in City Hall just before Christmas to mark his 50 years in business.
Mr McCarthy was among the many current and former city councillors who attended the funeral.
Mr O'Leary's remains were buried in St Joseph's Cemetery.
