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Mayo County Council

*Comhairle Contae Mhaigh Eo*
Mayo County Council ; Comhairle Contae Mhaigh Eo
Type
Type	County council of County Mayo
Leadership
Cathaoirleach	John O'Hara, FG
Structure
Seats	30
Political groups	Fine Gael (11) Fianna Fáil (10) Aontú (1) Independent Ireland (1) Sinn Féin (1) Independent (6)
Elections
Last election	7 June 2024
Motto
	Irish: Dia is Muire Linn; "God and Mary be with us"
Meeting place
	County Hall, Castlebar
Website
	Official website

Mayo County Council (Irish: Comhairle Contae Mhaigh Eo) is the local authority of 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 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]

Elections

Members of Mayo 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		FG		FF		SF		Aon		II		Lab		Ind	Total
2024	10		10		1		1		1		0		7		30
2019	12		11		1		—		—		0		6		30
2014	10		10		3		—		—		0		7		30
2009	17		7		2		—		—		0		5		31
2004	15		12		1		—		—		1		2		31
1999	13		16		0		—		—		1		1		31
1991	13		15		0		—		—		1		2		31
1985	14		15		0		—		—		0		2		31

Local electoral areas and municipal districts

County Mayo is divided into LEAs 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
Claremorris	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
Westport–Belmullet	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

The following were elected at the 2024 Mayo County Council election.

2024 seats summary

Party		Seats
	Fianna Fáil	10
	Fine Gael	10
	Aontú	1
	Independent Ireland	1
	Sinn Féin	1
	Independent	7

Councillors by electoral area

This list reflects the order in which councillors were elected on 7 June 2024.^[5]

Council members from 2024 election
LEA	Name	Party
Ballina	John O'Hara		Fine Gael
	Mark Duffy^[a]		Independent
	Annie May Reape		Fianna Fáil
	Michael Loftus		Fianna Fáil
	Joe Faughan		Independent
	Jarlath Munnelly		Fine Gael
Belmullet	Paul McNamara		Fianna Fáil
	Gerry Coyle		Fine Gael
	Seán Carey		Fianna Fáil
Castlebar	Michael Kilcoyne		Independent
	Ger Deere		Fine Gael
	Blackie Gavin		Fianna Fáil
	Al McDonnell		Fianna Fáil
	Cyril Burke		Fine Gael
	Donna Sheridan		Fine Gael
	Harry Barrett		Independent
Claremorris	Patsy O'Brien		Independent
	Richard Finn		Independent
	Damien Ryan		Fianna Fáil
	Alma Gallagher		Fine Gael
	Michael Burke		Fine Gael
	Paul Lawless^[b]		Aontú
Swinford	Gerry Murray		Sinn Féin
	Adrian Forkan		Fianna Fáil
	John Caulfield		Fianna Fáil
	Neil Cruise		Fine Gael
Westport	Chris Maxwell		Independent Ireland
	Peter Flynn		Fine Gael
	John O'Malley		Independent
	Brendan Mulroy		Fianna Fáil

Notes

^ Changed party, see table below for details.
^ Replaced during term, see table below for details.

Co-options

Party		Outgoing	LEA	Reason	Date	Co-optee
	Aontú	Paul Lawless	Claremorris	Elected to 34th Dáil at the 2024 general election	2 January 2025	Deirdre Lawless^[6]

Changes in affiliation

Name	LEA	Elected as		New affiliation		Date
Mark Duffy	Ballina		Independent		Fine Gael	10 October 2024^[7]

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 2000–2011 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."^[8]

References

^ "Local Authorities". Oireachtas. 26 May 1982. Archived from the original on 26 October 2019. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
^ "Castlebar". Mayo Online. Archived from the original on 10 November 2019. Retrieved 26 October 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 18 April 2023.
^ 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.
^ "Mayo County Council – Elected Candidates". RTÉ News. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
^ McGovern, Oisin (2 January 2025). "Sister of Paul Lawless to replace Aontú TD on Mayo County Council". Mayo Live. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
^ Ryan, Emma (10 October 2024). "Independent Mayo Councillor joins Fine Gael with intention to run in general election". Irish Independent. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
^ "Mayo planning among worst in country". The Mayo News. 17 April 2011. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 18 April 2012.