Special meeting of Cork City Council will pay tribute to Cork TD Bernard Allen
2010 File Hutton/rollingnews Allen In Picture: Ie Laura Bernard Pictured
A special meeting of Cork City Council will be held on Wednesday morning to pay tribute to former lord mayor, minister of state and Cork North Central TD Bernard Allen, who died at the weekend.
The meeting will be held just hours before Mr Allen’s Requiem Mass will be celebrated in the Cathedral of St Mary and St Anne, the North Cathedral, at 11am, with burial afterwards in St Finbarr's Cemetery.
Mr Allen died peacefully, following a short illness, in Cork University Hospital on Saturday with his family at his bedside.
Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Dan Boyle, who has called Wednesday’s special meeting in council chambers at 9.15am, has invited members of the Allen family, as well as former lords mayor of Cork, TDs and senators to attend.
He has also opened a book of condolence at City Hall to mark Mr Allen’s passing.
“I was saddened to learn of the death of Bernard Allen, a TD of 30 year’s experience and more particularly a former lord mayor of Cork,” Mr Boyle said.
“He was a public representative of strength and stature who served the city well, helping deliver vital sporting infrastructure and also playing a leading role in the establishment of Munster Technological University.”
A Book of Condolence has been opened today in the City Hall by the Lord Mayor, Cllr. Dan Boyle to mark the passing of former Lord Mayor, Minister of State and Cork North Central TD, Bernard Allen who sadly passed away over the weekend. pic.twitter.com/WLNSTZsimV
— Cork City Council (@corkcitycouncil) June 24, 2024
Educated at the North Monastery and UCC, Mr Allen was elected to Cork Corporation in 1979, retaining his seat until 1995.
He was lord mayor of Cork from 1988 to 1989, while his grandfather, James Allen, was lord mayor in 1942.
His uncle, the late Alderman Sammy Allen, also served on Cork Corporation until his passing in 1977.
Mr Allen was elected to Dáil Éireann in 1981 and would keep that seat for three decades, until his retirement from politics in 2011, serving as chair of the Public Accounts Committee and as minister of state for youth and sport.
Taoiseach Simon Harris and Tánaiste Micheál Martin are among the leading political figures who have paid tribute to him.
Mr Harris described him as "a pillar of his community” whose dedication and loyalty to the people he served were unmatched.
He said his career was marked by “an unwavering commitment to addressing the concerns and needs of his constituents”.
Mr Martin said Mr Allen always put the interests of Cork first, whether in the council or in the Dáil during his 30 years as TD.
He also described him as a very popular lord mayor, a tenacious chairman of the Public Accounts Committee and an effective minister for youth and sport.
Mr Allen is survived by his wife, Marie, and their children, Lorraine, Audrey and Deirdre.