Educated by the Patrician Brothers at the Old Monastery school, he began an apprenticeship with O'Gorman's Bookbinders in August 1941.
On 12 January 1954 he married Teresa Murphy of Fairhill, the Claddagh, and had Della, Paddy, John, Bernadette, Martina and Tony.
[citation needed] He was elected to the Corporation as an Independent in June 1974, and acted as deputy-Mayor that year.
Elected Mayor in 1978, his first civic duty was attending the twinning ceremony of Galway with St. Louis at UCG on 4 July.
Prior to the engagement, King had made some notes for his speech which he left in his pocket.