New mayors for city and county
By Katie O'Keeffe & Michael Olney
“Our city is defined by its warm and welcoming people, its sense of community, its thriving art, culture, and heritage.”
Those were the words of the new Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Deirdre Forde as she was elected at last Friday’s Annual General Meeting of Cork City Council.
For the first time in 2 years, the annual meeting took place back in the Council Chamber at City Hall.
In 2020, the annual meeting was held in the Concert Hall to enable social distancing, and in 2021 it took place in Coláiste Choilm, Ballincollig, as City Hall was in use as a Covid-19 vaccination centre.
Cllr Forde has represented Cork City South East area since her election to Cork City Council in 2019. Prior to the Cork City boundary extension she was an elected member of Cork County Council from 1999. The Douglas-based Fine Gael Councillor was elected this year’s Lord Mayor with 21 votes to 5 for the other nominee Cllr Fiona Kerins and 2 abstentions.
Lord Mayor Forde said she has big plans for Cork city in her time as first citizen: “We must endeavour to support our hardworking business community, those who create jobs and come up with ideas, those who give employment and who are critical to the economic growth of our city.
“Despite the uncertainty ahead, we must continue to be optimistic and ambitious, building connections through air and sea links to Europe and beyond.”
In her mayoral speech, she said her priorities for the year include driving the sustainability agenda, creating a “city for people”, the promotion of the arts and furthering female participation in politics through Cork City Council's Women's Caucus.
“In the entire 20th century, Cork city has had 2 female mayors. In the first 22 years of this century, we have had 4. Cork City’s Women’s Caucus was launched on International Women’s Day last year to promote women in politics by exploring barriers and challenges to political participation. It is already blazing a trail. For democracy to survive, politics to function and a society to thrive, inclusivity and diversity is essential,” she said.
Outgoing Lord Mayor Cllr Colm Kelleher noted some of the highlights of his year in office, including leading a trade delegation to the US to develop and strengthen civic, business and tourism links; recently opening 106 new homes for Cork City; and seeing Cork’s selection by the European Commission to lead on climate action.
Cllr Colm Kelleher also acknowledged the incredible community response to the Ukrainian crisis.
He said: “It has been an incredible honour and privilege to hold this office and I will always be grateful to Cork City Council for electing me.”
Meanwhile, Cllr Forde’s term began on the same day that Cork County Council elected their new mayor, Cllr Danny Collins.
He wasted no time in outlining his plans to fight for more funding for the county after being elected unopposed on Friday.
The Independent councillor for West Cork promised to “blow the dust off” last year’s All Ireland Research Observatory report which outlined a number of areas in which Cork county is not receiving its fair share of government funding for its size and population.
Addressing the chamber for the first time as mayor, he said: “The report showed that we are not getting our fair share of funding through the likes of CLÁR, the Rural Regeneration Fund, road maintenance, the Local Improvement Scheme, and coastal funding, which is a massive issue as we have over 230 piers and inlets dotted around our county and a lot of these need emergency funding.”
Mayor Collins, who owns and runs the Boston Bar in Bantry, was co-opted to Cork County Council in 2016 following the election of his brother Michael to Dáil Eireann.
He topped the poll in the Bantry Electoral Area in the 2019 local elections.
The new mayor succeeds Fianna Fáil’s Gillian Coughlan whose term saw the physical return of councillors to County Hall, as well as the launch of the Cork County Development Plan (CDP) 2022-2028.
There were many rounds of bualadh bos and even some tears shed as Cllr Coughlan thanked her colleagues and family for their help and support during a “very special year.”
“From the outset of my term as Mayor of Cork county, I have felt what I have often described as the scrum behind me, and you are the scrum. You are each very committed and passionate about your local communities and I admire and respect you.
“I am very fortunate in the support I have at home. As you all know, they're the props in the scrum and without them, the scrum wouldn't progress quite as well.
“They have worked so hard together to make sure that I can go out and be the best mayor I can be for all of you.”
Fianna Fail Cllr Deirdre O’Brien, who represents Fermoy Electoral Area, was elected as Deputy Mayor, replacing outgoing Independent Cllr Cathal Rasmussen.