Vincent Counihan and Sean O'Keeffe (Trustees of Muckross House) with President Hillary in 1980.

By Sean Moriarty

Tributes have been paid to former Killarney travel agent Vincent Counihan who died this week.

Mr Counihan, who died on Monday, was well-known in town, aside from his business interests he was heavily involved in community organisations like the Killarney Town Twinning Association, the Killarney-London Reunion and the early years of the Tops of the Town variety shows that were common place across Ireland in the 1970s and 1980s.

In the early years of the Killarney-London Reunion Mr Counihan would have arranged travel for local members heading to the British capital.

Current Reunion Chairman Noel O’Sullivan said Mr Counihan was involved since the first reunion in 1969.

“It was with great sadness we learned of the passing of Vincent,” he told the Killarney Advertiser.

“He was involved, right from the very beginning, up until the late 1980s, and would provide the travel arrangements on the Killarney side. We pass on our sincere sympathies to his family and friends.”

Travel industry pioneer

Born into the family business, Counihan Travel Agency on High Street, Vincent continued the family tradition of making holiday memories for generations of locals, as well as making local memories for visitors to Killarney through the Counihan family jarvey business.

In the mid 1970s he led a contingent from the local Junior Chamber of Commerce to Finland and Sweden to forge relationships with business communities there. The group included well-known business people like Kay Randles, Liam Kelly, Michael Larkin, Sean Coyne and the late Ned Myers who successfully won a major convention for Killarney which resulted in hundreds of delegates travelling to the town two years later.

“Vincent was a giant of a man, both in physical stature and in personality as a well-known businessman around Killarney where he was a great proponent of tourism and Killarney generally,” hotelier Tracy Coyne who was speaking on behalf of the Kerry branch of the Irish Hotel Federation, said. “A larger than life figure around Killarney, Vincent always had a funny story or an inciteful observation to share with those whom he met during his day. The Irish Hotel Federation would like to extend their deepest sympathies at this sad time.”

Vincent, who passed away in Ashborough Lodge Nursing Home in Milltown, was predeceased by his wife, Betty (nee Coghlan, from Beaufort).

He is survived by his children of Ivan, Peter, Vincent and Sarah, grandchildren, Stephen, Charlie and Kitty, brother Denis, sister-in-law Joan, nephews and nieces, extended family and many friends.

Requiem Mass took place yesterday (Thursday)  after which he was laid to rest at Aghadoe Lawn Cemetery.