The death has occurred in Killarney, at the age of 79, of Paul Coghlan.
A former Fine Gael member of Seanad Éireann, he served as Mayor of Killarney on two occasions, and he was elected to both Killarney Urban District Council and Kerry County Council.
Paul, who lived in Ballydowney, was elected Leas-Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann in June 2016, on a 36-11 vote, having secured the support of Fianna Fail and a number of independents.
First elected on the Industrial and Commercial Panel in 1997, he completed five terms in the senate, serving as FG spokesperson on defence and five years as Government Chief Whip.
He was also a member of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Chairperson of the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly Sovereign Matters Committee.
Paul staged a spectacular comeback, against all the odds, to hold his seat in 2016 and it was considered one of the greatest political recoveries in Irish political history.
After earlier conceding that his campaign looked destined to end in defeat, the then 71-year-old Fine Gael politician squeezed past the finish line in a dramatic 36th count.
He retired from Seanad Éireann in 2020.
Paul was a member of Killarney Urban District Council from 1985 to 1999 and Kerry County Council from 1991 to 1999. A two-term Mayor of Killarney, he also served as a member of the Dingle Harbour Commissioners and the Kerry VEC.
He contested the 1992 general election for Fine Gael but didn’t win a seat.
Paul was also a member of the Institute of Bankers in Ireland, the Life Assurance Association and the Institute of Professional Auctioneers and Valuers.
A former President of Killarney Chamber of Commerce – he succeeded Paddy MacMonagle in that role in 1980 – he was also one of the founder directors of Radio Kerry and a long-serving member of the Muckross House Trustees.
A very keen golfer, he was one of the main personalities in Killarney Golf and Fishing Club and served as captain and as a director and he loved playing a round of golf with friends and showcasing his local club to visitors.
Tributes have been paid by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Mayor of Killarney Cllr Niall Kelleher and Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce.
He is survived by his wife, Peggy, and family.
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