Tributes paid to Manchester councillor Pat Karney following his death aged 78

Manchester councillor Pat Karney has died aged 78 after representing Harpurhey since 1979.

Council leader Garry Bridges described him as “a giant of Manchester politics” in a tribute.

The council announcement said Cllr Karney had been receiving treatment for cancer at The Christie. It said he was grateful for the care he received.

He advocated investment in Collyhurst, Harpurhey and north Manchester and served for many years as the council’s city centre spokesperson.

He chaired the City Centre Committee established to oversee regeneration following the 1996 IRA bomb and had been a director of city centre management company Cityco since 2000.

He also served as a director of Marketing Manchester between 2002 and 2014.

Cllr Karney came up with the idea for Manchester Day, which was first held in 2010, and was a spokesperson for the city’s Christmas Markets and festive events.

Cllr Bridges said “Pat was a giant of Manchester politics and one of the city’s most recognisable public figures for nearly 50 years. He was truly a one-off and someone whose loss the city will feel deeply.”

He said Cllr Karney continued working for his constituents until the end of his life.

Cllr Karney moved from Dublin to Manchester aged nine and remained involved with the city’s Irish community, including the Irish Festival.

He also campaigned for gay rights, including through Manchester City Council’s opposition to Clause 28 of the Local Government Act 1988.

Council chief executive Tom Stannard said “I will miss his wisdom, his generosity with time and his inimitable grasp of Manchester’s history as well as his forever optimism about its future.”

The council said details of a book of condolence, including an online book, would be announced soon.