Tributes paid to retiring senior Tipperary County Council staff

Tributes were paid at Tipperary County Council’s monthly meeting to three retiring senior council officials.

The council’s Director of Services for Corporate, Human Resources, Climate Action and Environmental Services, Clare Curley, was attending her final monthly meeting of the council.

She is retiring after 39 years’ service in local government, mostly based in county Tipperary.

During her long career, Ms Curley was acting Town Clerk of Clonmel Borough Council, Town Clerk of Tipperary Town Council and Town Manager of Tipperary Town and Cahir.

She was promoted to Director of Services in the former South Tipperary County Council in the early 2000s and served as Director of Housing Services, Director of Human Resources, Corporate Services and Health & Safety; Director of Fire & Emergency Services and Civil Defence.

Following the amalgamation of South and North Tipperary County Councils, she became Director of Services for the new Tipperary/Cashel/Cahir Municipal District and served as Director of Housing and then Director of HR, Corporate Services, Climate Action & Environmental Services up to her retirement earlier this month.

Council Cathaoirleach Cllr Roger Kennedy led the tributes and best wishes to Ms Curley at this month’s council meeting. He said she had given sterling and dedicated public service in local government over many years and served in every role she was appointed to with aplomb.

Fine Gael’s Cllr Mary Hanna-Hourigan recalled that Ms Curley worked in some “very tough roles” during her career, especially in housing, and she was fondly remembered in Tipperary Town.

Workers & Unemployment Action Group Cllr Pat English thanked Ms Curley for the kindness she showed him and praised how accessible she was to councillors, while Fianna Fáil Cllr Siobhán Ambrose praised Ms Curley’s professionalism.

Council CEO Joe MacGrath thanked Ms Curley for her service to the local authority.

“She has a very proud record and career with the former South Tipperary County Council in the roles she played in the districts and town.

“She was very supportive to her colleagues and a very popular member of staff. She will be missed and we wish her and her daughter all the very best.”

Ms Curley thanked the councillors and council CEO for their kind words, their courtesy and support.

“It has been a privilege for me to work with you to realise your vision for Tipperary. I am conscious of how hard each of you works and want to acknowledge what has always been an excellent working relationship with officials and elected members.”

She said she was very grateful for the opportunity local government has afforded her and paid tribute to Mr MacGrath and previous council managers she served under for their kindness and encouragement.

Meanwhile, Cllr Kieran Bourke paid tribute at the meeting to Pat Slattery on his retirement from the council where his last roles were Director of Services for Economic & Community Development and Tipperary/Cashel/Cahir Municipal District.

He recalled Mr Slattery was Director of Services for Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District and before that Manager of Carrick-on-Suir Town Council for many years. His hometown benefitted hugely under his management.

Fellow Carrick-on-Suir Cllr David Dunne said he wished to be associated with Cllr Bourke’s comments about Mr Slattery, whose retirement was marked at the September meeting of Tipperary County Council.

Clonmel councillors, meanwhile, wished Jim Dillon, Housing Allocations Officer in the Housing Department, well ahead of his retirement from the council in November. He was District Administrator of Clonmel Borough District up to July.

Cllr English described Mr Dillon as a “trojan worker” who was always at the end of the phone to talk to about issues, while Cllr Ambrose said Mr Dillon went “above and beyond the call of duty”.

Director of Housing Sinead Carr thanked Mr Dillon for his service and noted not many individuals nearing retirement would step up like he did in recent months to work in one of the council’s most challenging jobs.

Cathaoirleach Cllr Kennedy thanked Mr Dillon for his many years of service with the council and CEO Mr MacGrath paid tribute to his “massive dedication and commitment” to local government.