Ian McGarvey | |
|---|---|
| Donegal County Councillor | |
| In office 5 June 2009 –February 2023 | |
| Constituency | Letterkenny |
| In office June 2004 – June 2009 | |
| Constituency | Milford |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 1929 (age 95) |
| Political party | Independent |
| Residence(s) | Moorfield,Ramelton |
| Known for | Record-breaking mayoralties Captaining Swilly Rovers to the 1962 FAI Junior Cup Having a vine dedicated to him in the Thuringian town of Rudolstadt |
Ian McGarvey (born July 1929) is a former footballer and former politician. He was a member of Donegal County Council,representing the Letterkenny electoral area. [1] [2]
Due to his age (his political career peaking while an octogenarian) he is often portrayed as an underdog,"They're always writing me off. I don't worry about that",he once said after being re-elected. [3] He has a special interest in the elderly,and has attracted attention after describing cuts to their care as a form of "euthanasia". [4] He did a noteworthy dance after being re-elected in 2014. [5]
McGarvey has lived at Moorfield in Ramelton,County Donegal,for more than 50 years. In April 2013,in the early hours,his home was attacked with stones and with spray,prompting police intervention. [6]
McGarvey spent a year working in Germany in 1960. [7] He played association football for Swilly Rovers and captained them to the FAI Junior Cup in 1962. [5] [8] [9] He has been a teetotaller (abstaining from alcohol) throughout his life. [7] He is related to Martin Docherty-Hughes. [10]
Aged 82,McGarvey became Ireland's oldest Mayor and Donegal County Council's first independent Mayor in June 2013,succeeding Frank McBrearty Jnr. [11] [12] Aged 85,he became Ireland's oldest ever general election candidate at the 2016 election. [13] Having earlier been Mayor of County Donegal,McGarvey became Mayor of Letterkenny in June 2018 - he succeeded either Gerry McMonagle of Sinn Féin [5] or Jimmy Kavanagh of Fine Gael [8] in that role. McGarvey was at this time approaching his 88th birthday and broke his own mayoral record set five years earlier. [5] [8] [9] As Mayor of Letterkenny,McGarvey - at this stage aged 89 - returned to Germany for the first time since 1960,visiting the Thuringian twin town of Rudolstadt and having a vine there dedicated to him and his wife Marjorie and a plaque erected at a vineyard. [7]
He retired from politics in February 2023. His nephew Pauric McGarvey was co-opted to Donegal County Council to replace him. [14]
Next to his feet was Martin Docherty-Hughes (Dunbartonshire West) of the Scottish National Party. As someone with probably one of the longest Irish names in history - Máirtín Seán Ó Dochartaigh-Aodha - it would, he insisted, have been remiss of him not to have participated in the debate... 'I was delighted to be there to welcome the then Mayor of Letterkenny' - Councillor Ian McGarvey - 'who was related which was great'.Speaking during the House of Commons debate on the Irish Diaspora in Britain, promoted by Rochdale Labour MP Tony Lloyd, on 17 March 2022.