Death in Spain of former Mayo elected representative Frank Durcan

The death has taken place in Torrevieja, Alicante, Spain, of Mr. Frank Durcan, Westport Road, Castlebar.

A retired auctioneer, he served as an elected member of Castlebar Town Council and Mayo County Council for five decades.

The news of his passing at his holiday residence has come a great shock to the community at large.

He is deeply mourned by his wife Toni, daughters Sarah, Louise and Mary, son Patrick, brother Michael, sisters Mary (Ballyvary), June (Castlebar) and Ann (Belmullet), brother-in-law Frank, sister-in-law Una, grandchildren Amelia, Matthew, Ava, Lucas and Cameron, extended family, relatives and friends, to whom deepest sympathy is tendered.

Frank was predeceased by his parents Patrick and Bea and his brother John.

The deceased had a tremendous passion for Castlebar and was a central figure in the De La Salle Association which built the sports hall at St. Gerald's College in the town.

First elected to public office in 1967 as a member of Castlebar Urban Council, he played a central role in ensuring the county town secured a new water supply from Lough Mask rather than Lough Lannagh, as originally planned.

This has proved over many years to have been a pivotal investment in terms of the town's development.

He served continuously on the urban council until 2004—a remarkable 37-year tenure—but made his political return five years later at the 2009 local elections.

Frank was initially affiliated to Fine Gael but later became an independent, earning a reputation for his outspoken style.

He served as chairman of the urban council on three occasions. 1975-1976, 1979-1980 and 1983-1984, and was a central figure is establishing a town-twinning arrangement with Auray in Britanny.

During his 1979-1980 term, the council relocated its headquarters from Castlebar Courthouse to Marsh House in September 1979, a move he oversaw.

Mr. Durcan also served as a member of Mayo County Council from 1974 to 1991 and later from 2009 to 2019, serving a term as cathaoirleach from 1980/81.

He was first councillor to hold the chairmanship of Castlebar Urban Council and Mayo County Council at the same time.

The 2009 local elections saw him being elected to Mayo County Council and Castlebar Town Council after having stepped away for five years.

It was his eighth time being elected to the town council and his fourth time to the county council.

His political career will be remembered as a controversial one, particularly when it came to challenging officialdom, which has been well documented over the years.

However, to his critics, he would always point to the fact that he never lost an election in which he contested.

At the time of his retirement from public life in 2019, he was recognised as the longest-serving elected representative in Ireland.

The funeral arrangements will be announced later.

May his gentle soul rest in peace.