Castlebar councillors pay tribute to former Mayo councillor Frank Durcan

The death has occurred in Torrevieja, Alicante, Spain, of former Castlebar councillor Frank Durcan of Westport Road, Castlebar.

A retired auctioneer who served as an elected member of Castlebar Town Council and Mayo County Council for five decades, his passing at his holiday residence has come as a great shock to the community at large.

Today (Wednesday's) monthly meeting of Castlebar Municipal District was adjourned as a mark of respect for the former councillor, as well as out of respect for the family of John Dolan, who died in Brussels and whose father, Paul, was previously Head of Roads with Mayo County Council.

At a meeting of Castlebar Municipal District Council, Cathaoirleach Councillor Al McDonnell led the tributes to former Councillor Frank Dolan, expressing his deepest condolences to Mr Durcan's wife Toni, son Patrick and three daughters. He thanked the late councillor for his contribution to the Castlebar Council Chamber over many years.

Councillor Harry Barrett provided a comprehensive overview of Mr Durcan's remarkable political career, noting that he was first elected in 1967 and went on to represent Castlebar for five decades. "He was very much a force to be reckoned with but always put the needs of the town first," Cllr Barrett said.

He highlighted Mr Durcan's instrumental role in securing the Lough Mask water supply for the town and acknowledged the considerable time he served as Cathaoirleach of both Castlebar Town Council and Mayo County Council. Cllr Barrett extended his sincere condolences to Mr Durcan's wife Toni and his children Sarah, Patrick, Louise and Mary.

Councillor Donna Sheridan offered her sympathies to the Durcan family, remembering Mr Durcan with fondness. "He was always a gentleman whenever I met him," she said. Councillor Michael Kilcoyne, who sat alongside Mr Durcan on both Castlebar Town Council and Mayo County Council, extended his sympathies to the entire family, including his wife Toni, his children, sisters and extended family members. "He represented the people who voted for him well," Cllr Kilcoyne said.

Councillor Ger Deere also offered his sympathies to the Durcan family, while Councillor Blackie Gavin said he learned of Mr Durcan's passing with shock. Cllr Gavin, who also served with the late councillor on both the town and county councils, extended his sympathies to Mr Durcan's wife Toni and his children Sarah, Patrick, Louise and Mary, along with the extended family.

A life dedicated to Public Service

Frank Durcan's political journey began in 1967 when he was first elected to Castlebar Urban Council. He went on to serve continuously until 2004, an extraordinary 37-year period of uninterrupted service. Though he stepped back from public life for five years, he returned with renewed vigour at the 2009 local elections, successfully securing seats on both Mayo County Council and Castlebar Town Council—his eighth election to the town council and his fourth to the county council.

Originally a Fine Gael member, he later chose to stand as an independent, developing a well-known reputation for his forthright and outspoken approach to local politics. He was elected chairman of Castlebar Urban Council on three separate occasions: 1975-1976, 1979-1980 and 1983-1984. A notable achievement during his 1979-1980 chairmanship was overseeing the council's move from Castlebar Courthouse to its new headquarters at Marsh House in September 1979.

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His service extended beyond the urban council to Mayo County Council, where he served from 1974 to 1991 and again from 2009 to 2019. He held the position of cathaoirleach from 1980/81, and achieved a historic first by simultaneously chairing both Castlebar Urban Council and Mayo County Council.

Upon his retirement from public service in 2019, Frank Durcan was recognised as Ireland’s longest-serving elected representative.

Frank Durcan will be reposing at his residence, on the Westport Road, Castlebar, (Eircode F23 PY93) on Friday, October 31 from 5pm to 7pm.

Removal from his residence will be on Saturday, November 1 at 11:30am for Requiem Mass at 1pm in The Church of the Holy Rosary, Castlebar, with funeral proceeding to Turlough Cemetery.

The tributes reflect the deep respect and admiration Mr Durcan earned throughout his lengthy career in public service, during which he became a distinguished figure in Castlebar and Mayo local government.Retry