FIANNA FÁIL leader Micheál Martin yesterday paid tribute to former Cork Fianna Fáil TD and lord mayor of Cork Seán French, who died aged 80 over the Christmas period.
Mr French – who represented Cork in Dáil Éireann from 1967 to 1982 – was buried at St Finbarr’s Cemetery yesterday following requiem Mass.
Recalling his service to the people of Cork, Mr Martin said: “Seán made an enormous contribution to public life and public service in Cork. He served the people of Cork as a councillor, as lord mayor of the city and as TD.
“Seán believed in public service and was proud to have been entrusted with those roles by the people.” He also recalled Mr French’s role as a loyal and trusted confidante of former taoiseach Jack Lynch.
Mr French, who died at St Luke’s in Cork on Christmas Day, was the son of a former Fianna Fáil TD also called Seán French and first came to prominence as a hurler with Glen Rovers.
Mr French ran alongside Jack Lynch in the 1969 and 1973 general elections and benefited from large transfers from Mr Lynch, who had a huge surplus.
He was again elected following constituency revisions in the general elections of 1977, 1981 and February 1982, but lost out to his running mate Dan Wallace in the November 1982 general election.
Former Progressive Democrat TD Máirín Quill said Mr French had served Cork with “honour and decency” while current Lord Mayor of Cork Terry Shannon said the French family had made a huge contribution to Cork city.
Mr French is survived by his wife, Pat, sons Seán and Bernard, and daughters Rachael, Petronilla, Janice, Cynthia and Patsy, and his brother Msgr Thomas French.
