Former Fine Gael TD Michael Joe Cosgrave dies

Former Fine Gael TD and councillor Michael Joe Cosgrave has been remembered as an "iconic figure on the Northside of Dublin".

Mr Cosgrave , who died on Sunday following a sudden illness, was first elected as a TD in 1977 but won numerous terms in the old Dublin North East constituency at various times up until 2002.

Father-of-four Mr Cosgrave also worked as a councillor initially with Dublin City Council, but later at Dublin County Council and Fingal County Council until his retirement in 2009.

Dublin Bay North Fine Gael TD Richard Bruton said he was elected alongside Mr Cosgrave in 1982. He said his party colleague was strongly established in the Baldoyle area was a "really committed local politician".

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Mr Bruton added: "He left a great mark and there's still people who will swear by Michael Joe so many years after his departure from the political scene."

He described Mr Cosgrave as someone who did “an immense amount” for his community and as an “iconic figure on the Northside of Dublin”.

After his election to the Dáil in 1977 Mr Cosgrave held his seat until 1992 when he lost out only to be re-elected in 1997.

His election material in the 1990s highlighted how he had campaigned for the abolition of the old regimes of water charges and residential property tax as well as for improved Dart services on the Howth rail line.

His years as a councillor in the 1990s later became the subject of controversy.

Mr Cosgrave was among 32 Dublin county councillors who were the subject of adverse findings or criticism by the planning tribunal in its 2012 final report.

He ran in the 2002 general election but lost his seat as part of Fine Gael’s poor results that year.

His daughter Niamh was a well-known Dublin City Councillor for Fine Gael between 1999 and 2007.