Senior cabinet ministers, led by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, are expected to be in attendance to pay tribute to the late Donal Creed, former minister and Fine Gael TD – and father of the Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed – at his Requiem Mass today.
Creed, who was aged 93, died on Thursday (November 23) in Macroom. It is believed that prominent Fianna Fail TDs will also be present at his funeral, which will take place in St. Colman’s Church, Macroom, Co. Cork.
In a statement, Martin Heydon, the chairman of the Fine Gael party, said: “Donal gave excellent public service to the people of Cork throughout a long and distinguished political career. His electoral record is proof of his popularity in his native Cork.
He was first elected to Dail Eireann in 1965 and never lost an election since, serving in the Dail for over 20 years.
“Donal was a minister of state on three occasions during this time and he also served a term in the European Parliament,” Heydon noted.
Creed served as a minister of state for health, for environment and for education between 1981 and 1986; he retired from the Dail in 1989 and was replaced by his son Michael.
Creed is survived by his wife, Madeleine, and children Marcella, Michelle, Madeleine, Suzanne, Louise and Michael. He was predeceased by his daughters Nuala, who died as an infant, and Claire, who died in October.