Louth County Council

Louth County Council (Irish: Comhairle Contae Lú) is the authority responsible for local government in County Louth, 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.[1] The council has 29 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, Joan Martin. The county town is Dundalk.

Louth County Council

Comhairle Contae Lú
Type
Type
Leadership
Dolores Minogue, FG
Structure
Seats29
Political groups
Elections
Last election
24 May 2019
Motto
Lugh sáimh-ioldánach  (Irish)
"Lugh equally skilled in many arts"
Meeting place
County Hall, Dundalk
Website
louthcoco.ie
The area governed by the council
Louth County Council Area

History

Originally meetings of Louth County Council took place in Dundalk Courthouse.[2][3] A home for the county officials was subsequently established at County Buildings in Crowe Street[4] and both the county council and its officials moved to County Hall in 2000.[5]

Councillors

For the purpose of elections, the county is divided into four Local Electoral Area's (LEA): Ardee (6 seats), Drogheda (10 seats), Dundalk-Carlingford (6 seats) and Dundalk South (7 seats).[6]

2019 seats summary
Party Seats
Fianna Fáil 7
Sinn Féin 7
Fine Gael 5
Labour Party 3
Green Party 1
Independent 6

Councillors by electoral area

This list reflects the order in which councillors were elected on 24 May 2019.[7]

Council members from 2019 election
Local electoral area Name Party
Ardee Dolores Minogue Fine Gael
Colm Markey Fine Gael
Pearse McGeough Sinn Féin
Jim Tenanty Independent
John Sheridan Fianna Fáil
Hugh Conlon Independent
Drogheda Rural Oliver Tully† Fine Gael
Kevin Callan† Independent
Michelle Hall Labour Party
Tom Cunningham Sinn Féin
Drogheda Urban Paul Bell Labour Party
Pio Smith Labour Party
Joanna Byrne Sinn Féin
Kevin Callan Independent
James Byrne Fianna Fáil
Paddy McQuillan Independent
Dundalk–Carlingford Antóin Watters Sinn Féin
John McGahon† Fine Gael
Edel Corrigan Sinn Féin
Erin McGreehan† Fianna Fáil
Seán Kelly Fianna Fáil
Conor Keelan Fianna Fáil
Dundalk South Maeve Yore Independent
Marianne Butler Green Party
Ruairí Ó Murchú† Sinn Féin
Maria Doyle Fine Gael
Tomás Sharkey Sinn Féin
Liam Reilly Fianna Fáil
Emma Coffey Fianna Fáil

†Replaced during term, see table below for details.

Co-options
Party Outgoing Electoral area Reason Date Co-optee
Independent Kevin Callan Drogheda Rural Callan was elected for two areas Drogheda Urban and Drogheda Rural, he resigned from Drogheda Rural. June 2019 Declan Power
Fine Gael Oliver Tully Drogheda Rural Death of councillor July 2019 Eileen Tully
Sinn Féin Ruairí Ó Murchú Dundalk South Elected to Dáil Éireann at the 2020 general election February 2020 Kevin Meenan
Fine Gael John McGahon Dundalk–Carlingford Elected to Seanad Éireann at the 2020 Seanad election March 2020 John Reilly
Fianna Fáil Erin McGreehan Dundalk–Carlingford Nominated by the Taoiseach to Seanad Éireann June 2020 Andrea McKevitt

Chief executive (county manager)

Each council has a chief executive, previous to 2014 known as city or county manager, who is the manager of the local authority.[8]

Year Title Name Next Position
2014–present Chief executive Joan Martin[9]
2013–2014 County Manager Philomena Poole County manager for Dun Laoighaire-Rathdown County Council[10]
2012–2013 Acting County Manager Joan Martin
2007–2012 County Manager Conn Murray City and County Manager for Limerick Council[11]

Cathaoirleach of Council (Chairman)

Every year, each local authority elects a chair called the Cathaoirleach for a term of one year and a deputy chair called the Leas-Cathaoirleach from among its members. The members elected for each municipal district elect a Cathaoirleach and a Leas-Chathaoirleach for their grouping. The Cathaoirleach chairs the meetings of the local authority or municipal district. Mayor and Deputy Mayor are titles used in municipal districts which were formerly borough councils.[12] Since 1899 there has been 51 Cathaoirleach of Louth County Council.

Year Name Party
2017–2018 Colm Markey Fine Gael
2016–2017 Paul Bell Labour
2015–2016 Peter Savage (7th) Fianna Fáil
2014–2015 Oliver Tully (2nd) Fine Gael
2013–2014 Declan Breathnach (2nd) Fianna Fáil
2012–2013 Finnan McCoy Fine Gael
2011–2012 Oliver Tully (1st) Fine Gael
2010–2011 Peter Savage (6th) Fianna Fáil
2009–2010 Jim D'Arcy Fine Gael
2008–2009 Declan Breathnach (1st) Fianna Fáil
2007–2008 Jimmy Mulroy Fianna Fáil
2006–2007 Jim Lennon Fine Gael
2005–2006 Peter Savage (5th) Fianna Fáil
2004–2005 Terry Brennan Fine Gael
2003–2004 Nicholas McCabe (8th) Fianna Fáil
2002–2003 Jacqui McConville Fianna Fáil
2001–2002 Tommy Reilly Fianna Fáil
2000–2001 Nicholas McCabe (7th) Fianna Fáil
1999–2000 Peter Savage (4th) Fianna Fáil
1998–1999 Miċéal O'Donnell (2nd) Fianna Fáil
1997–1998 Martin Bellew Independent
1996–1997 Thomas Reilly Fianna Fáil
1995–1996 W. Frank Godfrey Independent
1994–1995 Nicholas McCabe (6th) Fianna Fáil
1993–1994 Jim Cousins Progressive Democrats
1992–1993 Peter Savage (3rd) Fianna Fáil
1991–1992 John McConville (2nd) Fianna Fáil
1990–1991 Miċéal O'Donnell (1st) Fianna Fáil
1989–1990 Nicholas McCabe (5th) Fianna Fáil
1988–1989 Peter Savage (2nd) Fianna Fáil
1986–1988 John McConville (1st) Fianna Fáil
1985–1986 Peter Savage (1st) Fianna Fáil
1983–1985 Nicholas McCabe (4th) Fianna Fáil
1982–1983 Patrick Buckley Fine Gael
1981–1982 Nicholas McCabe (3rd) Fianna Fáil
1980–1981 Tommy Elmore Fine Gael
1979–1980 Nicholas McCabe (2nd) Fianna Fáil
1976–1979 Peter J. Moore Labour
1975–1976 Patrick J. O'Hare (2nd) Fine Gael
1974–1975 Nicholas McCabe (1st) Fianna Fáil
1973–1974 Patrick J. O'Hare (1st) Fine Gael
1967–1973 Paddy Donegan Fine Gael
1960–1967 Bernard Rafferty Fianna Fáil
1958–1960 William Woods (2nd) Independent
1957–1958 Laurence Walsh Fianna Fáil
1955–1957 William Woods (1st) Independent
1925–1955 James McGee Sinn Féin
1920–1925 James Murphy Sinn Féin
1918–1920 Patrick McGee Farmers' Party
1913–1918 William Doran Nationalist Party
1899–1913 Peter Hughes Independent

Cathaoirleach party distribution

Breakdown of the 51 times the Cathaoirleach (chair) was held by each political party in Louth, in its 119 year history:

Party Times Chair Held
Fianna Fáil 27
Fine Gael 12
Sinn Féin 2
Independent 2
Labour Party 2
Cumann na nGaedheal 1
Farmers' Party 1
Progressive Democrats 1
Nationalist Party 1
Green Party 0
Unknown 2

Population by Local Electoral Area

The table below sets out the population of the county broken down by Local Electoral Area, total 2016 population of 128,884.

LEA Population (2011)Population (2016) Seats Population per seat
Drogheda 41,925 44,052[13] 10 4405
Dundalk South 28,49330,207[14] 7 4315
Dundalk Carlingford 24,589 25,599[15] 6 4266
Ardee 27,890 29,026[16] 6 4837

Population by Municipal District

The table below sets out the population of the county broken down by Municipal District, total 2016 population of 128,884.

  • Dundalk Municipal District
  • Drogheda Municipal District
  • Ardee Municipal District
District Population (2011)Population (2016) Seats Population per seat
Dundalk 53,08255,806[17] 13 4292
Drogheda 41,925 44,052[18] 10 4405
Ardee 27,890 29,026[19] 6 4837

Population by Electoral Division

The table below sets out the population of the county broken down by Electoral Division.[20]

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See also

References
  1. "Services". Louth County Council. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  2. "Louth County Committee of Agriculture (and Technical Instruction) Archives, 1901 - 1985" (PDF). Louth County Council. p. 2. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  3. "Details of Local Authorities in Ireland". 8 October 2003. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  4. Rudd, J. (1990). Studying Your Local Area: A Guide to Information Sources. Combat Poverty Agency.
  5. "Louth County Hall Millennium Centre". Planning Architecture Design Database Ireland. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
  6. "2014 Local elections – Louth County Council". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  7. "2014 Local elections: Louth County Council". RTÉ News. Archived from the original on 31 May 2014. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  8. Citizensinformation.ie. "Chief Executive of the council". www.citizensinformation.ie. Retrieved 2018-04-17.
  9. "Joan first CEO of Louth Council - Independent.ie". Independent.ie. Retrieved 2018-04-17.
  10. "Poole set to leave Louth council after six months - Independent.ie". Independent.ie. Retrieved 2018-04-17.
  11. "Murray named as new 'super manager' for new Limerick local authority". Retrieved 2018-04-17.
  12. Citizensinformation.ie. "Cathaoirleach of the council". www.citizensinformation.ie. Retrieved 2018-04-17.
  13. "Census 2016 Sapmap Area: Local Electoral Area Drogheda". census.cso.ie. Retrieved 2018-04-17.
  14. "Census 2016 Sapmap Area: Local Electoral Area Dundalk South". census.cso.ie. Retrieved 2018-04-17.
  15. "Census 2016 Sapmap Area: Local Electoral Area Dundalk Carlingford". census.cso.ie. Retrieved 2018-04-17.
  16. "Census 2016 Sapmap Area: Local Electoral Area Ardee". census.cso.ie. Retrieved 2018-04-17.
  17. "Census 2016 Sapmap Area: Municipal District Dundalk". census.cso.ie. Retrieved 2018-04-17.
  18. "Census 2016 Sapmap Area: Municipal District Drogheda". census.cso.ie. Retrieved 2018-04-17.
  19. "Census 2016 Sapmap Area: Municipal District Ardee". census.cso.ie. Retrieved 2018-04-17.
  20. "Census of population by electoral division 2016". CENSUS OF POPULATION 2016 - PRELIMINARY RESULTS / GEOGRAPHIC CHANGES CENSUS OF POPULATION 2016 - PRELIMINARY RESULTS. CSO. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
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