Mayo County Council

Comhairle Contae Mhaigh Eo
Coat of arms or logo
Logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Michael Loftus, FF
Structure
Seats30
Political groups
  •   Fine Gael (11)
  •   Fianna Fáil (11)
  •   Sinn Féin (1)
  •   Independent (7)
Elections
Last election
24 May 2019
Motto
Irish: Dia is Muire Linn
"God and Mary be with us"
Meeting place
Áras an Chontae, Castlebar
Website
Official website Edit this at Wikidata
The area governed by the council

Mayo County Council (Irish: Comhairle Contae Mhaigh Eo) is the authority responsible for local government in County Mayo, 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 30 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, Kevin Kelly. The county town is Castlebar.

History

Originally meetings of Mayo County Council took place in Castlebar Courthouse.[1] The county council moved to modern facilities at County Hall (Irish: Áras an Chontae) further west on The Mall in Castlebar in 1989.[2]

In the early 1930s, the County Council was dissolved for a time and replaced with a Commissioner because of the Mayo librarian controversy.

Regional Assembly

Mayo County Council has two representatives on the Northern and Western Regional Assembly who are part of the West Strategic Planning Area Committee.[3]

Local electoral areas and municipal districts

Mayo County Council is divided into the following local electoral areas and municipal districts, defined by electoral divisions.[4]

Municipal District LEA Definition Seats
Ballina Ardagh, Ardnaree North, Ardnaree South Rural, Ardnaree South Urban, Attymass East, Attymass West, Ballina Rural, Ballina Urban, Ballycastle, Ballysakeery, Carrowmore, Crossmolina North, Crossmolina South, Deel, Derry, Fortland, Kilfian East, Kilfian South, Kilfian West, Kilgarvan, Killala, Lackan North, Lackan South, Mount Falcon, Rathoma, and Sallymount 6
Castlebar Abhainn Bhrain, Addergoole, An Cheapaigh Dhuibh, Baile an Chalaidh, Baile Óbha, Balla, Ballinafad, Ballyhean, Ballynagoraher, Bellavary, Breaghwy, Burren, Burriscarra, Castlebar Rural (part), Castlebar Urban, Clogher (in the former Rural District of Castlebar), Cloonkeen, Croaghmoyle, Islandeady, Killavally, Letterbrick, Manulla, Partraí, Pontoon, Roslee, Strade, Tamhnaigh na Graí, and Turlough 7
Claremorris Claremorris Ballindine, Ballinrobe, Ballyhaunis, Ballyhowly, Bekan, Caraun, Claremorris, Cloghermore, Cong, Coonard, Course, Crossboyne, Culnacleha, Dalgan, Garrymore, Hollymount, Houndswood, Kilcolman, Kilcommon, Kilmaine, Kilvine, Knock North, Knock South, Mayo, Murneen, Neale, Newbrook, Shrule and Tagheen 6
Swinford Aghamore, Ballinamore, Bohola, Brackloon, Callow, Cloonmore, Coolnaha, Cuildoo, Doocastle, Kilbeagh, Kilkelly, Killedan, Kilmovee, Kiltamagh, Loughanboy, Meelick, Sonnagh, Sraheen, Swineford, Toocananagh, Toomore, Tumgesh and Urlaur 4
Westport–Belmullet Westport Aghagower North, Aghagower South, Aillemore, Bundorragha, Clare Island, Clogher (in the former Rural District of Westport), Croaghpatrick, Derryloughan, Drummin, Emlagh, Erriff, Glenhest, Kilgeever, Kilmaclasser, Kilmeena, Kilsallagh, Knappagh, Louisburgh, Newport East, Owennadornaun, Slievemahanagh, Westport Rural and Westport Urban 4
Belmullet Acaill, An Corrán, An Geata Mór Theas, An Geata Mór Thuaidh, Ballycroy North, Ballycroy South, Bangor, Barr Rúscaí, Béal an Mhuirthead, Béal Deirg Mór, Bunaveela, Cnoc an Daimh, Cnoc na Lobhar, Cnoc na Ráithe, Dumha Éige, Gleann Chaisil, Gleann na Muaidhe, Glenco, Guala Mhór, Moing na Bó, Na Monga, Newport West, Sheskin, Slievemore and Srahmore 3

Councillors

2019 seats summary

Party Seats
Fine Gael 12
Fianna Fáil 11
Sinn Féin 1
Independent 6

Councillors by electoral area

This list reflects the order in which councillors were elected on 24 May 2019.[5]

Council members from 2019 election
Local electoral area Name Party
Ballina John O'Hara Fine Gael
Mark Duffy Independent
Annie May Reape Fianna Fáil
Michael Loftus Fianna Fáil
Séamus Weir Independent
Jarlath Munnelly Fine Gael
Belmullet Gerry Coyle Fine Gael
Paul McNamara Fianna Fáil
Seán Carey Fianna Fáil
Castlebar Michael Kilcoyne Independent
Blackie Gavin Fianna Fáil
Al McDonnell Fianna Fáil
Ger Deere Fine Gael
Cyril Burke Fine Gael
Martin McLoughlin Fianna Fáil
Donna Sheridan Fine Gael
Claremorris Patsy O'Brien[a] Fine Gael
Richard Finn Independent
Damien Ryan Fianna Fáil
John Cribbin Fine Gael
Michael Burke Fine Gael
Tom Connolly Fine Gael
Swinford Gerry Murray Sinn Féin
Michael Smyth Fianna Fáil
Neil Cruise Fine Gael
John Caulfield Fianna Fáil
Westport Christy Hyland Independent
Peter Flynn Fine Gael
Brendan Mulroy Fianna Fáil
John O'Malley Independent
  1. ^ Changed party, see table below for details.

Changes in affiliation

Name Electoral area Elected as New affiliation Date
Patsy O'Brien Claremorris Fine Gael Independent October 2020[6]

Assessment

Mayo County Council was identified in 2011 by An Taisce, the national trust, as among the worst county councils in Ireland's planning system during the 2000–11 period.

County councils in Ireland were assessed by the organisation in relation to overzoning; decisions reversed by An Bord Pleanála after being passed by a local authority; percentage of vacant housing stock; and percentage of one-off houses permitted. An Taisce's report of its findings described the results as "stark and troubling".

In Mayo, many council planning decisions were overturned because the council violated its own County Development Plan. Overdevelopment in Mayo was another problem identified, with too many vacant houses in the county (not inclusive of holiday homes). A spokesman for An Taisce commented, "Mayo didn’t do well on one-off houses either. What a lot of local authorities don’t seem to appreciate is that it is more expensive to provide infrastructure to one-off houses in the countryside than it is to do so to estates."[7]

References

  1. ^ "Local Authorities". Oireachtas. 26 May 1982. Archived from the original on 26 October 2019. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  2. ^ "Castlebar". Mayo Online. Archived from the original on 10 November 2019. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  3. ^ 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 18 April 2023.
  4. ^ County of Mayo Local Electoral Areas and Municipal Districts Order 2018 (S.I. No. 627 of 2018). Signed on 19 December 2018. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Archived from the original on 2 February 2019. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 8 September 2020.
  5. ^ "Local Elections 2019: Results, Transfer of Votes and Statistics" (PDF). Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. pp. 158–164. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 June 2020. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
  6. ^ Ryan, Philip (27 October 2020). "Fine Gael councillor expelled from party after seven month internal investigation". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  7. ^ "Mayo planning among worst in country". The Mayo News. 17 April 2011. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2012.

External links

Local government in the Republic of Ireland
Authority control databases
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