The death has taken place of former councillor Donal Grady.
Mr Grady, had represented Killarney since 1999, when he was first elected to then urban district council.
His brother Sean was also a former elected representative for Killarney and his son Martin is a serving county councillor.
Donal Grady served on Killarney Town Council and latterly Kerry County Council until his retirement last year, when his son Martin was co-opted onto the local authority.
The independent councillor also served as Mayor of Killarney.
Cllr Grady was a founding member of the Killarney Drugs Liaison Committee and the Kerry Life Education Mobile Unit Ltd which promotes children's wellbeing.
Mr Grady, who was in his seventies, served in the fire service and rose to be station officer in Killarney.
Killarney Fire Service and Macroom Fire and Rescue have paid tribute to him, saying fire-fighting and serving his community was something in his blood and that his and his family’s membership of the fire service showed their dedication to the people of Killarney.
Cllr Martin Grady said his father was a small man with a big heart, who loved the people of Kerry and Killarney, and was proud to serve them.
He has been deputising as Mayor of Killarney at the town’s Christmas parade last evening and was wearing the mayoral chains when he received the news of his father’s sudden passing.
