New Mayor wants to ensure Fingal continues to thrive
Fingal has a new Mayor after the election of Cllr Tom O'Leary today
Councillor Tom O’Leary (Fine Gael, Balbriggan) has been elected as Mayor of Fingal at the Council’s Annual General Meeting held in County Hall in Swords this evening.
His election means he becomes the 20th Mayor of Fingal. The AGM also saw the election of Cllr Gráinne Maguire (Independent, Balbriggan) as Deputy Mayor.
Cllr O’Leary is a long-term resident of Skerries and has served as a Councillor in Fingal for over 15 years. He is a proactive advocate on key local issues and has held significant roles on transport, strategic infrastructure, planning, coastal management and housing during his time on the council. Married and with three adult children, he has worked as a parliamentary assistant to a number of Fine Gael spokespeople/Ministers in both the Dáil and Seanad.
Addressing councillors for the first time as Mayor, Cllr O’Leary said: “It is a great honour to be elected as the 20th Mayor of Fingal. I sincerely thank my colleagues for placing their trust in me to serve in this role to help ensure Fingal continues to be a great place to live for all.
“Throughout my time as a councillor, my focus has consistently been on delivering homes, strengthening infrastructure, and enhancing community facilities across Fingal. From affordable housing and measures to tackle anti-social behaviour, to improving youth amenities, schools, and sports facilities - I am proud of what we've achieved and am eager to build on that and ensure that Fingal continues to thrive.
“I am particularly looking forward to seeing progress made on the delivery of a new Sports Hub in Skerries, accelerating the delivery of more homes alongside key community infrastructure, advancing the development of the Bremore Deepwater Port, the opening of the new Skerries Carnegie Library, expanding our Active Travel initiatives and identifying a large annual event for the people of Dublin 15.”
This is the third time that Cllr Maguire has been elected to serve as Deputy Mayor. First elected as a Balbriggan Councillor in 2013, Cllr Maguire previously served on Balbriggan Town Council from 2009. With extensive experience in local government, she is a well-known and respected figure in Ireland’s youngest town and is recognised for her active involvement in a wide range of community groups and her strong commitment to local issues.
This is the third time that Cllr Maguire has been elected to serve as Deputy Mayor. First elected as a Balbriggan Councillor in 2013, Cllr Maguire previously served on Balbriggan Town Council from 2009. With extensive experience in local government, she is a well-known and respected figure in Ireland’s youngest town and is recognised for her active involvement in a wide range of community groups and her strong commitment to local issues.
Outgoing Mayor, Cllr Brian McDonagh (Labour, Howth-Malahide), addressed those in attendance, saying: “Over the past year, we’ve achieved a great deal. It has been an honour to serve, and I’m proud to have contributed to the continued development of our County.”
Cllr McDonagh also thanked Cllr JK Onwumereh for his outstanding contribution as Deputy Mayor over the last year, saying that the support, passion and energy he had brought to the role was a fantastic example to many.
During the AGM, the outgoing Mayor and Deputy Mayor were commended for their steadfast service to the people of Fingal over the past year. They were praised for their hard work and enthusiasm, and for ensuring they had a regular presence across all areas of the county.
Councillors also selected the Chairs for each of Fingal’s three Area Committees at this evening’s AGM. These committees focus on the local delivery of services within their respective regions, addressing issues such as roads, litter, playgrounds, water services, housing, and libraries. The newly elected Chairs for this year are:
- Balbriggan/Rush-Lusk/Swords: Cllr Luke Corkery
- Blanchardstown-Mulhuddart/Castleknock/Ongar: Cllr Eimear Carbone-Mangan
- Howth-Malahide: Cllr Cathal Haughey
In Fingal, there are 40 councillors representing the county. Fine Gael and Labour each have seven councillors, while there are seven councillors with no party affiliations. Fianna Fáil have six councillors, Sinn Féin have four, with Aontú, the Social Democrats and People Before Profit-Solidarity having two each. There are three parties (Independents4Change, the Green Party and the National Party) who have one councillor elected to serve on Ireland’s youngest local authority.