Former Dublin lord mayor Michael Donnelly left an estate valued at €1.9 million when he died in December 2024, according to papers published by the Probate Office.
Donnelly, of Glendoher Park, Rathfarnham, was a member of the Fianna Fáil party, and served as a public representative for more than 30 years.
He was first elected to Dublin City Council in 1985 and remained a member until he lost his seat in 2009. From 1990 to 1991 he held the office of Lord Mayor of Dublin.
In addition to serving at Dublin City Council he was a member of Seanad Éireann from 1977 to 1981.
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Donnelly was predeceased by his wife, Aileen, and was father to three sons.
An accountant by profession, he served as a director of Irish Life Assurance from June 1991 to May 2001. He also served as the chairman of the College of Commerce, a council member of the College of Technology Kevin Street, a council member of Dublin’s VEC and honorary treasurer of Prisoners Aid Through Community Effort.
In other grants of probate, Dr Donal J Cotter of Temple Gardens, Dartry, Dublin, left an estate valued at €3.83 million when he died in June 2024, in his 99th year.
Cotter is remembered as a pioneer of child psychiatry in Ireland and practised at St James’s Hospital until his retirement in 1990.
He edited The Chequerboard Boy (2016), a book detailing the psychological treatment of a young boy with scoliosis, and contributed to other publications on child psychiatry.
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Joan Costello of Eglinton Park, Donnybrook, left an estate valued at €2.04 million when she died in April 2024.
Costello was the widow of prominent Fine Gael strategist, attorney general and, having left politics, president of the High Court, Declan Costello. Through her marriage she was daughter-in-law of former taoiseach John A Costello.
Born Joan Fitzsimons, Costello and her husband famously hosted a dinner, at John A Costello’s request, for then US senator John F Kennedy and his wife Jackie Kennedy in 1955.
The dinner took place at Jammet’s, a French restaurant on Nassau Street, which was Jackie Kennedy’s favourite restaurant in Dublin. Kennedy later wrote to Fr Joseph Leonard that her husband Jack had been “enchanted” with Joan Costello during the evening.
Joan and her husband were married in 1953. They had six children including Judge Caroline Costello, who became president of the Court of Appeal.
Figures quoted in this article include all assets, typically including the value of homes or land and all investments.
