Cork colleagues pay tribute to late Macroom councillor who was ‘a voice for so many’
CorkmanCork County Councillors have paid tribute to their colleague Cllr Michael Creed, who passed away at the weekend, describing him as a “fantastic public representative” who cared deeply about his local area and pushed through positive change there.
The Fine Gael councillor from Carrigaphooca in Macroom, passed away on February 15, aged 68. He was first elected to Cork County Council in 2009 and retained his seat in every subsequent election.
Speaking at a special meeting held in Macroom, the Mayor of County Cork, Cllr Mary Linehan-Foley, described Cllr Creed as “a voice for so many and a driving force for positive change in Macroom and the wider area who championed rural issues.”
“He approached each meeting with his own distinct feeling of warmth, empathy and desire to do right by the people of Macroom and the wider area. He touched every aspect of the wider community in his municipal district and he will be forever missed in Macroom and all around County Hall,” she said.
The Fine Gael party leader in the council, Cllr Michael Hegarty, said Cllr Creed was “a very dedicated public representative. He was very proud of the area that he represented and he was very well got by staff and people in County Hall.
His work with the Department of Agriculture was highly regarded and he was very well respected by the farming community. He was very interested in rural life and the progression of it.”
Fianna Fail’s Cllr Gearoid Murphy said “he always struck me as an extremely diligent worker for his constituents and for the community at large. He leaves a huge legacy of service to his community and the wider area. His close connection with his community was reflected in the huge vote which he consistently got every time he stood for election.”
Representing Independent members, Cllr Alan Coleman said Cllr Creed was “extremely hardworking, he was diligent and he felt a great connection with the people and a great empathy with the people that he represented. He was low profile, high work rate. He always did what was right. He was never a populist and never afraid to take a tough decision.”
Independent Ireland’s Cllr Ger Curley said that at his first council meeting after being elected, “Michael came over and he sat down beside me in the canteen. He said to me ‘One bit of advice I give you, try and meet people personally, it's the best way to get results’ and he was definitely right. He was lovely, nice man, very caring, and he’ll be a loss to his community.”
Aontu Councillor Peter O'Donoghue described Cllr Creed as a “fantastic public representative. I know that because I have relations down his neck of the woods and they always told me that if you wanted something done, you went to Michael Creed. The people of the area had great, great time for him.”
The Chief Executive of Cork County Council, Moira Murrell, passed on the sympathies of the local authority to Cllr Creed’s family and friends. “From the perspective of the management and the staff in Cork County Council, Michael was a hugely respected elected member who represented his constituency and the people who he represented very, very well.”
“What I have always heard about Councillor Michael and the engagement with staff is that he was always reasonable, always fair. He understood what could be done, and importantly, he understood what couldn't be done as well and went about his work in such a respectful and fair way,” she said.
Cllr Creed is the second member of Cork County Council to have died in recent months, with West Cork Councillor Patrick Gerard Murphy having passed away in September 2025.