Tánaiste leads tributes following death of former Mayo councillor and Senator
Fine Gael leader Simon Harris led tributes to former Ballina councillor Ernie Caffrey who passed away on Sunday
Fine Gael leader and Tánaiste, Simon Harris led the tributes to former Mayo councillor and Senator Ernie Caffrey who passed away at his home in Ballina over the weekend.
A former Fine Gael councillor on Ballina Urban District Council and Mayo County Council, Ernie Caffrey also served as a Senator in Seanad Éireann and ran in four General Elections between 1989 and 2002.
The Tanaiste and Fine Gael leader, Simon Harris led the tributes to Mr Caffrey who passed away on Sunday in his residence in Ballina.
Mr Harris said that he served Fine Gael with distinction and described him as a 'tireless advocate for those he represented and leaves behind a proud legacy'.
“It was with sadness that I learned of the passing of Ernie Caffrey, a former Fine Gael senator and councillor, who served his community in Ballina, Co Mayo and the party with distinction for many years.
“His loyalty to the party and his community was evident in his running as a Fine Gael candidate in four successive general elections between 1989 and 2002. He was a tireless advocate for those he represented and leaves behind a proud legacy,” he said.
Mr Harris said one particularly proud moment for Ernie and his family came when he met with then US President Joe Biden during his visit to the North Mayo Heritage Centre in April 2023 and presented the president with a brick from the fireplace of the president’s ancestral Blewitt family homestead in Ballina.
Caffrey was elected to Ballina Urban District Council in the mid-80s and in 1991 he was elected to Mayo County Council having unsuccessfully contested the first of four General Elections in 1989.
In 1997, he was elected to Seanad Éireann on the Industrial and Commercial Panel and served in the upper house until 2002 and stepped away from politics ahead of the 2004 local elections.
A keen athlete throughout his life, Ernie also represented Ballina Athletic Club at several Masters championships over the years.
Former Ballina-based TD and Senator, Michelle Mulherin who was elected to Ballina Town Council and Mayo County Council in 2004 was among those to pay tribute to Mr Caffrey describing him as a true friend and mentor.
“My true friend and mentor always, from the start. Thanks for everything - you always went above and beyond. An all round wonderful human being with a great wit and humour and a decent intelligent politician ahead of his time - an inspiration and one of a kind, I am certain. Ní bheidh do leithéid arís ann,” she wrote on her Facebook page.
Paying tribute, Mayo Fine Gael Executive Chair and former MEP, Senator and TD, Jim Higgins, said Ernie Caffrey was one of the great Fine Gael stalwarts of his generation and a proud son of Ballina.
“Throughout his life he was deeply committed to public service, community development and the values of Fine Gael. Whether serving on the local council, in Seanad Éireann or working quietly behind the scenes, Ernie always put people first,” he said.
Fine Gael TD and Minister of State, Alan Dillon said the passing of Ernie Caffrey is a profound loss to Ballina and to all in Fine Gael, said Minister of State, Alan Dillon TD.
“Ernie was a man of deep integrity, community spirit, and unwavering dedication to the people he served. His decades of public service on Ballina Urban District Council, Mayo County Council and in Seanad Éireann, his generosity, and his steady, sincere manner left a lasting mark on all who had the privilege of working alongside him.
“Ernie embodied the very best of public life, steady, sincere, and always guided by a genuine love for his community. Ballina is better for his service, and we are all better for having known him.”
Predeceased by his wife Phyllis, Ernie is survived by his children Liam, Declan, Elizabeth, and Miriam and will be reposing at McGowan's Funeral Home, Ballina this evening from 5pm until 7pm.
His Funeral will arrive at St Muredach’s Cathedral, Ballina on Tuesday morning for 11.30am Requiem Mass followed by burial in Leigue cemetery, Ballina.