West Kerry native Breandán Fitzgerald becomes Mayor of Kerry

The 50-year-old described the development as an “enormous honour” and said he will focus on promoting the county nationally and internationally in the 12 months ahead.

While Cllr Fitzgerald, first elected to Kerry County Council in 2019 through the Corca Dhuibhne Local Electoral Area, takes the chain of office for the first time, he does follow in the footsteps of his late father, Tom Fitzgerald, a Fianna Fáil Councillor and Senator who chaired the council from 1979 to 1980.

There was a strong West Kerry flavour to his opening address as Cathaoirleach, opening and closing in Corca Dhuibhne Irish, and he encouraged the use of Irish in the Council Chambers.

He again welcomed the recently announced National Park, Páirc Náisiunta na Mara, which takes in a massage acreage on and off Kerry’s coastline, and he reiterated the importance of completing the N86 Tralee-Dingle road scheme.

He promised to support farmers and fishermen and protect the county’s beaches, while he also called for the Chambers to become more “relevant”, suggesting transition-year students could be invited to County Buildings.

“My father always maintained a seat is what you make it and I will be taking this opportunity as Cathaoirleach to continue to prioritise the delivery of social housing throughout the County and to begin the delivery of affordable housing throughout the County,” he added. “If we are unable to provide social and affordable housing then we must allow people themselves permission to build a home or provide serviced sites for them to do so. Every option must be explored.”