‘I was his darling’

Tears, laughter, and a shocked sense of disbelief were all present at the funeral of Cork County Councillor Joe Carroll who was laid to rest in his home town of Skibbereen on Monday.

The Dunmanway native died last Friday at Bantry General Hospital following a short illness.

Locally beloved as a larger than life cornerstone of West Cork politics, Joe Carroll was first elected to Cork County Council in 2004, serving as mayor from 2024 to 2025.

He leaves behind his wife Sheila, his children Linda and Kieran, his granddaughter Anna, and a wide circle of extended family and loved ones.

In an emotional speech, Cllr Carroll’s granddaughter Anna described her granddad as her best friend and “a pure rogue”.

She said: “He would tell me to call him Joe because it made him sound old if people called him granddad. He always had the mentality he was 21.

“He really was my best friend. I was his darling.

“Regardless of what was going on, he always wanted to be hopeful and look for the positive.

“My last promise to him is that I’d take care of granny… Joe, I’ll keep that promise.”

Cllr Carroll’s daughter Linda also spoke to the congregation, praising her dad’s loyalty, knowledge, and fashion sense.

She said: “He was my hero. I absolutely adored him. I’ll never be the same without him. No matter where either of us were in the world, there was never 24 hours where we didn’t speak.

“For a man who never went beyond the group cert, by God, he was knowledgeable. It would be fair to say he had an absolute thirst for knowledge.”

Known to enjoy his fashion, Linda told of how her dad would often take a long time getting ready before going out, saying: “Joe took longer to get ready in the mornings than most supermodels. He didn't know how to dress casually.”

A school bus driver by trade, Cllr Carroll was famous in his local area for his “unique” driving style. Addressing mourners, Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Mary Linehan Foley shared a story told by a former relief driver on Cllr Carroll’s old bus route. She said the relief driver had been amazed by how “polite” the Skibbereen locals were, noting how they would immediately pull their cars into the narrow ditches to let the bus pass. However, a local quickly set the record straight, saying: “They’re not pulling in to be polite. They think you’re Joe Carroll, and they know Joe will drive on no matter how narrow the road is!”

“There was Joe the politician, and Joe the man: half charmer, half messer, always ready with a song or a joke,” said Cllr Linehan Foley.

“His presence was enormous, even on the rare occasions when he was quiet.

“He never shied away from saying what he needed to say... a gentle and very, very kind soul. There was no show like a Joe show... I will never, ever forget his voice,” said the Mayor.