'A great servant of this city': former Mayor of Limerick and long-serving councillor passes away

A WELL-RESPECTED and long-serving councillor, who has gone to her God this Tuesday evening, has been remembered as "an incredible lady".

Kathleen Leddin, who lived on the North Circular Road, and was elected the 817th Mayor of Limerick, sadly died in Milford Hospice, surrounded by her family.

Mother of former Green Party TD Brian Leddin and wife of the former Fine Gael councillor, the late Tim Leddin, Kathleen served on the old City Council between 1999 and 2014 when she retired from politics aged 74.

An Independent councillor, she was the final first citizen of Limerick City Council before the authority merged with Limerick County Council.

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Kathleen was a huge supporter of her husband Tim, and in effect won his seat on the eve of the new millennium.

Following his retirement, she had been overlooked for a Fine Gael nomination - so ran as an Independent instead, winning in the old ward one, where she was re-elected in 2004 and 2009.

The highlight of her political career came in 2013 when she was elected first citizen.

During her final term from 2009 to 2014, when Fine Gael ruled the roost at City Hall, she was put forward on a number of occasions by the opposition groupings.

But she continually missed out, leaving her to lament: "Always the bridesmaid, never the bride".

However, at the last ever annual general meeting of Limerick City Council, she finally secured the chain of office after Fine Gael lost its majority and was unable to secure support for their own candidate, the late Denis McCarthy.

It was another councillor now sadly deceased, Pat Kennedy of Fine Gael who crossed the floor and backed Cllr Leddin as a protest at not receiving his party's nomination for the office.

Following her retirement, she was filled with joy at seeing her son Brian make history twice for the Green Party.

He followed in her footsteps in being elected as a councillor in 2019.

Then, eight months later, he became Limerick's first Dail TD for the Green Party.

"An incredible lady, absolutely remarkable," is how her nephew, serving Labour councillor Joe Leddin remembered her this Tuesday.

He believes Kathleen was before her time in being a strong envirommentalist, something particularly shown with her love for the Westfields Wetlands on her doorstep, and her efforts to ensure it remained a Special Area of Conservation.

Local businessman Randel Hodkinson, a former president of the Thomond Archaeological and Historical Society, which Kathleen was a lifelong member of, described her as: "An amazing lady, a great servant of this city and a passionate supporter of Limerick's heritage."

May she rest in peace.