Jim Finucane. Photo Mark O’Sullivan.
There is widespread sadness in Tralee and across the wider county following the passing of former Mayor of Kerry and Fine Gael Councillor Jim Finucane who died on Tuesday evening.
Mr Finucane made a major contribution to politics and community projects in Kerry that had both local and national significance.
Born and educated in Tarbert in north Kerry, Mr Finucane returned to Kerry after his studies in the early 1980s having trained as a draughtsman in Dublin when leaving school in 1975. He first ran for Tralee Town Council in 1986 when elected for Fine Gael.
He gave 29 years service as an elected representative prior to his retirement from official politics in 2023. He was instrumental in finalising numerous local projects in Tralee and Kerry over the years while serving as the Mayor of Kerry and the Mayor of Tralee.
Serving as Chairman of the Kerry Education and Training Board (Kerry ETB), he was instrumental in the organisation’s projects and outreach programmes. He was an advocate for the importance of apprenticeships and making education available to all.
In the early 2000s, Mr Finucane was among the first politicians to speak about the importance of re-branding Tralee and Kerry as a tourism offering.
Through the decades, Mr Finucane played a seismic role in the promotion of tourism in Tralee. Reaching out to Kerry’s diaspora overseas to include them in the progress of the county is a strategy he considered of paramount importance.
Through his work as an estate agent, Mr Finucane also played a key role in making housing available for disadvantaged groups in society.
One of his highest honours came in October 2025 when appointed as Ireland’s first Honorary Consul of Ukraine at a special ceremony.
The honour is indicative of his work in helping war-torn Ukrainian refugees to seek shelter and feel included in Kerry society.
Although he was personally delighted to receive the honour from the Ukrainian Ambassador, Mr Finucane was not one for basking in the limelight and was at his best when working for people behind the scenes and away from the media glare.
Tributes to follow.
