The Drogheda man who put Kilkenny city on the map as a top tourist and holiday destination has died.

Paddy Donnelly, 87, the former Kilkenny City and County Manager, passed away on Friday, September 11, at St Luke’s Hospital following an illness.

He is predeceased by his beloved wife, Maura, and daughter, Mary Power, and is survived by his sons, Joe and Damien.

His funeral Mass is to be held on Tuesday in St Patrick’s Church, College Road, Kilkenny, with burial afterwards in Foulkstown Cemetery, Kilkenny.

Many tributes were paid to him on RIP.ie by friends, relatives and the people of Kilkenny.

Joe Crockett said: “Deepest sympathy to the Donnelly family on the death of Paddy. He was an outstanding and pioneering County Manager, a visionary and an innovator in local government and in city building.

“His contribution to Kilkenny City in particular was immense.”

Pauline O’Donovan wrote: “I am very sad to see that Paddy passed away. He contributed enormously to Kilkenny during his time as County Manager. He was a man with a great vision and always a pleasure to meet.”

Michael McGrath said: “I served with Paddy back in the sixties when he was the life and soul of Custom House. He went on to become Kilkenny’s best ever County Manager and an expert in local government. You only have to look at how he transformed our city for the better. He had a heart for helping old friends.”

Paddy grew up in Dyer Street and then St Mary’s Villas, off the Dublin Road, Drogheda.

He had a deep drive to protect and promote historical infrastructure and it was this legacy he left to Kilkenny.

Paddy was educated at the Sisters of Charity school in Fair Street and St Joseph’s CBS. He left school at 16 years of age after doing his Leaving Cert and joined the Civil Service as a Clerical Officer.

He worked in the Department of the Environment as a civil servant before making his mark as the visionary Kilkenny City and County Manager.

He got the Kilkenny job in 1974 and retired in 2001 at 62 years of age, after being the country’s longest-serving head of local government.

He was also a former private secretary to the late Neil Blaney when he was Minister for Local Government and was also a former chairman of the Health and Safety Authority.

He served a total of 45 years in the Civil Service.

He was a great admirer of what he termed the historical “jewels” of Drogheda: Millmount, Knowth, Dowth, Newgrange, the Boyne Valley and the Battle of the Boyne site.

He served under a total of 16 different government ministers.

Paddy regularly returned to Drogheda to visit his late mother and sister, Laura Burke.

His late wife, Maura, originally came from Bryanstown.