Meet the Mayors: Dublin councils elect their heads as FG lead three of four

The four Dublin local authorities all elected their new Mayors last night.

And it was a good night for Fine Gael, who have three of their Councillors in the four highest civic offices in the county. On Dublin City Council, Fine Gael’s James Geoghegan was elected as the new Lord Mayor of Dublin.

The Dublin City Councillor for Pembroke, who is the Fine Gael’s Dublin Bay South General election candidate, is the party’s first Lord Mayor in 12 years. He was elected by a ruling group of councillors on the Council made up of Fine Gael, Green Party, Fianna Fail and Labour.

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Cllr Geoghegan, the Fine Gael Group Leader on Dublin City Council said: “I am honoured to be appointed the 356th Lord Mayor of Dublin and I thank my colleagues for placing their trust in me to fulfil this prestigious role. I intend to put all my energy and focus into representing the city that I love and to deliver solutions to some of the challenges faced by the capital’s communities and businesses.

“My priorities as a councillor over the last four and a half years have been on the delivery of homes for young people, tackling anti-social behaviour and crime, and ensuring we have an inclusive society where families and individuals can enjoy a good quality of life. It is also essential that agencies including Dublin City Council continue to work together to ensure Dublin city is a safe and welcoming place where visitors and residents alike can enjoy our renowned hospitality and culture.

“I am humbled to take up the role of Dublin Lord Mayor and will continue to work hard on behalf of the capital’s citizens.” The good times continued for Fine Gael on South Dublin County Council, where Tallaght South Councillor Baby Pereppadan got the nod.

Cllr Pereppadan is in his third term as a Councillor. He was elected alongside his son Britto, who represents Tallaght Central.

He said: “Thank you to my colleagues who have entrusted me with this responsibility. I won’t let you down. This position is not just a title. It’s a commitment to the residents of South Dublin, to listen, to advocate and to work tirelessly for the betterment of our community.

“I am looking forward to working across party lines and with staff here at the Council to make South Dublin a more inclusive place to live, work and build a family.” In Dun Laoughaire-Rathdown County Council, Jim O’Leary was elected as Cathaoirleach.

The Fine Gael Councillor represents the Dundrum area. He was first elected as a Councillor in 2004.

Coincidentally, Cllr O”Leary’s grandfather, James Reidy, was elected Lord Mayor of Limerick exactly 80 years ago this month. He said: “I will continue to ensure that housing delivery remains a priority and I will be focusing on the Dundrum Local Area Plan objectives and the Ballinteer Community Centre.

“We also have a €1billion capital budget, and I am committed to ensuring consistent progress and updates on key projects across the County.” And finally, in Fingal, Labour Councillor Brian McDonagh was elected as their Mayor.

Cllr McDonagh represents the Howth-Malahide LEA. The Portmarnock native has served on the Council since 2014.

He said: “I am extremely proud to represent a County as culturally diverse as the one we have, particularly as it continues to be one of the fastest growing regions in the country in terms of population and the economy. As a group of Councillors, we all bring different life experiences and a healthy mix of professional backgrounds and skills to the table.

“I am looking forward to now getting to work to help ensure we are delivering the services that the people of Fingal deserve. I’d like to also say how delighted I am to have Cllr JK Onwumereh as Deputy Mayor as he represents the best of a new Ireland.”

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