Kit Ahern, who has died aged 92, was a prominent Kerry Fianna Fáil senator and TD who later defected to the Progressive Democrats. She came to prominence with the Irish Countrywomen's Association and was an aunt of the Kerry All-Ireland footballer Eoin Liston.
Listowel-based Fianna Fáil Senator Ned O'Sullivan said yesterday that Ms Ahern was ahead of her time. "She was a visionary, in terms of the Irish language and culture, and a great supporter of the arts. I never met a politician with such integrity."
Ms Ahern was close to George Colley and bitterly opposed to Charles Haughey, who defeated Colley for the party leadership in 1979. When Colley died, she strongly supported Des O'Malley.
When Mr O'Malley formed the PDs in the mid-1980s, she joined him. However, by then she was effectively retired from politics.
A native of Athea, Co Limerick, she was born Catherine Liston. She studied at the College of Art, Dublin, and taught in Coláiste Mhuire, Abbeyfeale, Co Limerick, for 12 years.
She married Dan Ahern, who predeceased her, and went to live in Ballybunion in north Kerry.
Ms Ahern was president of the Irish Countrywomen's Association in the 1960s.
She was appointed to the Seanad by Seán Lemass in 1965, and later retained her seat in the cultural and educational panel.
She contested the general elections in Kerry North in 1965, 1969 and 1973, precipitating a bitter battle with the local McEllistrim dynasty which stretched back to the 1920s.
Ms Ahern finally secured a Dáil seat in the Jack Lynch landslide of 1977.
Colley visited Kerry North to support her in the 1981 general election campaign, but she lost the seat to fellow Fianna Fáil candidate, Denis Foley.
