Fianna Fáil, Independents, and Labour strike deal over Cork county mayor role
Council The Of Cork With Frank Cork Carroll New Joe Outgoing Mayor O'flynn County Picture: Mayor Of County
Fianna Fáil councillors have struck a deal with Independents and Labour for a five-year pact to take control of the position of Cork county mayor.
Skibbereen-based Fianna Fáil councillor Joe Carroll was elected as incoming Mayor of County Cork at the council’s annual general meeting in County Hall on Friday.
Under a rotation pact for that title, he will be followed next year by Independent councillor Alan Coleman, then Fianna Fáil councillor Bernard Moynihan, Independent councillor Mary Linehan-Foley, and Fianna Fáil councillor Deirdre O’Brien.
The position of deputy mayor for the following year will be filled by Independent Martin Coughlan from Macroom.
Seamus McGrath and John Paul O’Shea remain leaders of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael on the council. However, there is a change with the Independents.
Alan Coleman from Kinsale takes over as their leader after Declan Hurley failed to get re-elected.
The outgoing mayor, Fianna Fáil councillor Frank O’Flynn, welcomed the 16 new councillors who brought along their family members to witness the occasion.
He said it was “a tremendous honour” to have held the chain of office for the past year and during that time a huge amount of work had been undertaken by the local authority to enhance the county “with infrastructure improvements and advanced services".
Mr O’Flynn said he was particularly proud that during his term of office the council had built 355 social and affordable houses which were badly needed.
Tributes were paid to him by the party leaders on the council who said he’d represented the county with decency and integrity and displayed unbelievable levels of energy.
It was also the first meeting attended by the council’s new chief executive Moira Murrell.
The current political make-up of the 55 seats on the council is: Fianna Fáil (19), Fine Gael (18), Independents (8), Independent Ire-land (4), Social Democrats (3), Labour (2), and Sinn Féin (1).
Seamus McGrath proposed Joe Carroll, who was first elected onto the council in 2004, as incoming mayor. Fine Gael put up Carrigtwohill-based councillor Anthony Barry for the position.
Mr Carroll won by 28 votes to 21, with six councillors abstaining.