Former Fianna Fáil TD Sean Ardagh has died at the age of 68 after a long illness.

Mr Ardagh was elected to Dublin City Council in 1986 and became a TD for Dublin South Central in 1997. He retained the seat in the elections of 2002 and 2007 but did not stand in 2011.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said Mr Ardagh was “one of the great gentlemen of Irish politics” and a “hard working, courteous and committed” public representative.

Mr Ardagh was initially diagnosed with non-hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer of the white blood cells, just before the 2002 general election. He successfully contested the election even though he was undergoing treatment at the time.

The cancer recurred in 2010 and Mr Ardagh did not contest the 2011 general election although he said at the time that his illness was not the reason for his decision to stand down.

His daughter Catherine Ardagh contested the recent general election for Dublin South Central and narrowly lost out for the final seat to Brid Smith of the Anti Austerity Alliance.

Mr Martin said Mr Ardagh faced life threatening health challenges on a number of occasions but was “always positive and upbeat in his struggles”.

“Happily, he lived to see his daughter Catherine elected to Seanad Éireann and appointed as Fianna Fáil group leader in the upper house. He gave her great guidance and support at all stages,” he said.

“He will be very fondly remembered and sadly missed.”