Offaly County Council (Irish: Comhairle Chontae Uíbh Fhailí) is the local authority of County Offaly, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning and development, amenity and culture, and environment. The council has 19 elected members. Elections are held every five years and are by single transferable vote. The head of the council has the title of Cathaoirleach (chairperson). The county administration is headed by a chief executive, Anna Marie Delaney. The county town is Tullamore.
Offaly County Council Comhairle Chontae Uíbh Fhailí | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
Tony McCormack, FF | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 19 |
 | |
Political groups |
|
| Elections | |
Last election | 7 June 2024 |
| Motto | |
| Latin: Esto Fidelis "Be Faithful" | |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Áras an Chontae, Tullamore | |
| Website | |
Official website  | |
History
editOffaly County Council was established on 1 April 1899 under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 for the administrative county of County Offaly (then titled King's County).[1][2][3] Originally Tullamore Courthouse had been the meeting place of Offaly County Council.[4][5] The county council moved to modern facilities at Áras an Chontae in 2002.[6]
Regional Assembly
editOffaly County Council has two representatives on the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly who are part of the Midland Strategic Planning Area Committee.[7]
Elections
editMembers of Offaly County Council are elected for a five-year term of office on the electoral system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV) from multi-member local electoral areas (LEAs).
| Year | FF | FG | Ren | IDP | SD | GP | SF | II | PDs | Lab | Ind | Total | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | 0 | 2 | 19 | |||||||||||
| 2019 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 3 | 19 | |||||||||||
| 2014 | 8 | 3 | — | — | — | 0 | 3 | — | — | 0 | 5 | 19 | |||||||||||
| 2009 | 9 | 6 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 6 | 21 | |||||||||||
| 2004 | 8 | 6 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 5 | 21 | |||||||||||
| 1999 | 9 | 7 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 1 | 4 | 21 | |||||||||||
| 1991 | 10 | 6 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 1 | 3 | 21 | |||||||||||
| 1985 | 12 | 6 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 3 | 21 | |||||||||||
Local electoral areas and municipal districts
editCounty Offaly is divided into LEAs, defined by electoral divisions, to elect members of the council and into municipal districts for governance at a local level.[8]
| Municipal District and LEA | Definition | Seats |
|---|---|---|
| Birr | Aghancon, Ballincor, Banagher, Barna, Birr Rural, Birr Urban, Broughal, Cangort, Cloghan, Clonmacnoise, Cullenwaine, Derrinboy, Derryad, Doon, Dromoyle, Drumcullen, Dunkerrin, Eglish, Ettagh, Ferbane, Gallen, Gorteen (in the former Rural District of Roscrea No. 2), Hinds, Huntston, Kilcolman, Kilcormac, Killooly, Killyon, Kinnitty, Knockbarron, Lea, Letter, Lumcloon, Lusmagh, Mounterin, Mountheaton, Moyclare, Roscomroe, Seirkieran, Shannonbridge, Shannonharbour, Shinrone, Srah, Templeharry and Tulla | 6 |
| Edenderry | Ballaghassaan, Ballyburly, Ballycommon, Ballymacwilliam, Ballyshear, Bracknagh, Clonbulloge, Clonmore, Clonygowan, Croghan, Daingean, Edenderry Rural, Edenderry Urban, Esker, Geashill, Hammerlane, Kilclonfert, Knockdrin, Monasteroris, Mountbriscoe, ODempsey, Portarlington North, Raheenakeeran and Rathfeston | 6 |
| Tullamore | Ballycumber, Bawn, Cappancur, Clara, Derrycooly, Durrow, Gorteen (in the former Rural District of Tullamore), Kilcumreragh, Killeigh, Killoughy, Rahan, Rathrobin, Screggan, Silverbrook, Tinamuck, Tinnycross, Tullamore Rural and Tullamore Urban | 7 |
Councillors
edit2024 seats summary
edit| Party | Seats | |
|---|---|---|
| Fianna Fáil | 8 | |
| Fine Gael | 5 | |
| Sinn Féin | 3 | |
| Independent Ireland | 1 | |
| Independent | 2 | |
Councillors by electoral area
editThis list reflects the order in which councillors were elected on 7 June 2024.[9]
| Council members from 2024 election | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| LEA | Name | Party | |
| Birr | Peter Ormond | Fianna Fáil | |
| John Leahy | Independent | ||
| John Clendennen[a] | Fine Gael | ||
| Hugh Egan | Fine Gael | ||
| Sean Maher | Sinn Féin | ||
| Audrey Hennessy-Kennedy | Fianna Fáil | ||
| Edenderry | Eddie Fitzpatrick[b] | Fianna Fáil | |
| Fergus McDonnell | Independent Ireland | ||
| Claire Murray | Fianna Fáil | ||
| Liam Quinn | Fine Gael | ||
| Noel Cribbin | Fine Gael | ||
| Claire Murray | Sinn Féin | ||
| Tullamore | Neil Feighery | Fine Gael | |
| Frank Moran | Fianna Fáil | ||
| Seán O'Brien | Independent | ||
| Tony McCormack[a] | Fianna Fáil | ||
| Aoife Masterson | Sinn Féin | ||
| Declan Harvey | Fianna Fáil | ||
| Ollie Bryant | Fianna Fáil | ||
- Notes
Co-options
edit| Party | Outgoing | LEA | Reason | Date | Co-optee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fianna Fáil | Tony McCormack | Tullamore | Elected to 34th Dáil at the 2024 general election | 16 December 2024 | Shane Murray[10] | |
| Fine Gael | John Clendennen | Birr | Elected to 34th Dáil at the 2024 general election | 16 December 2024 | Eleanor Clendennen[11] | |
Changes in affiliation
edit| Name | LEA | Elected as | New affiliation | Date | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eddie Fitzpatrick | Edenderry | Fianna Fáil | Independent | 8 October 2024[12] | ||
References
edit- ^ Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898, s. 1: Establishment of county councils (61 & 62 Vict., c. 37 of 1898, s. 1). Enacted on 12 August 1898. Act of the UK Parliament. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book.
- ^ Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898, s. 124: Commencement of Act (61 & 62 Vict., c. 37 of 1898, s. 124). Enacted on 12 August 1898. Act of the UK Parliament. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book.
- ^ "Orders declaring the boundaries of administrative counties and defining county electoral divisions: King's County". 27th Report of the Local Government Board for Ireland (Cmd. 9480). Dublin: Local Government Board for Ireland. 1900. p. 278.
- ^ Byrne, Michael (15 June 2019). "Local Government in Offaly: The county council and marking 120 years of local democracy". Offaly History. Archived from the original on 12 November 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
- ^ "Tullamore Courthouse" (PDF). NMA Architects. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
- ^ "Áras an Chontae, Tullamore". Irish architecture awards. Archived from the original on 12 November 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
- ^ Local Government Act 1991 (Regional Assemblies) (Establishment) Order 2014, Article 5 and Schedule 3 (S.I. No. 573 of 2014). Signed on 16 December 2014. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 1 May 2023.
- ^ County of Offaly Local Electoral Areas and Municipal Districts Order 2018 (S.I. No. 630 of 2018). Signed on 19 December 2018. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Archived from the original on 20 January 2020. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 11 September 2020.
- ^ "Offaly County Council – Elected Candidates". RTÉ News. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ "Popular community champion selected to replace newly elected Dail Deputy on Offaly County Council". Offalylive. 13 December 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- ^ Grennan, Geraldine (16 December 2024). "Two new Cllrs co-opted onto Offaly County Council". Offaly Independent. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
- ^ Gearoid, Keegan (8 October 2024). "Election shock in Portarlington as Fianna Fail councillor opts to run for Dail as independent". Leinster Express. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
