First Irish woman on council dies at age of 90
THE family of the first Irish woman ever to be elected to Birmingham City Council have paid tribute following her death before Christmas.
First elected to the council for Saltley Ward in 1978, Catherine Finegan died on December 13 at the age of 90.
Mrs Finegan moved to the UK from Ireland as a young woman to work on the buses in Birmingham, where she met her future husband, James Finegan, who was from Monaghan.
They spent the first years of married life renting rooms before eventually settling in Alum Rock, where they raised their six children.
After a period of ill health in her youth meant she had to leave school, so went back to school to study tailoring and design in her 40s, turning her talents into a business and taking commissions to make suits, dresses and wedding dresses.
She later settled into work as a breakfast and silver service waitress at the Grand Hotel in Colmore Row, and in the 70s became involved with a monthly social group for families with children with disabilities.
It was through listening to their difficulties that she joined the Labour Party.
Mrs Finegan believed in direct action to get things done. She led two protests for safer streets during which she was arrested for obstructing a road, but her successful campaigns earned the interest of the local Labour Party who invited her to stand in the local elections.
She became later first Irish woman to be elected to Birmingham City Council.
Mrs Finegan’s family said she poured her heart and soul into her role as a councillor and worked hard to resolve the issues of people who felt their voices were not heard.
She was later made Honorary Alderman of the city of which she was incredibly proud.
Mrs Finegan is survived by her six children, 12 grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.