Offaly County Council

Local authority of County Offaly in Ireland

Offaly County Council

Comhairle Chontae Uíbh Fhailí

Type
Type|

County council

of County Offaly

History
Founded| 1 April 1899
Leadership

Cathaoirleach

Audrey Hennessy Kennedy, FF

Structure
Seats| 19

Political groups

Fianna Fáil (7)
Fine Gael (5)
Sinn Féin (3)
Independent Ireland (1)
Independent (3)
Elections

Last election

| 7 June 2024
Motto
Latin: Esto Fidelis
"Be Faithful"
Meeting place
Áras an Chontae, Tullamore
Website
Official website
The area governed by the council

Offaly County Council (Irish: Comhairle Chontae Uíbh Fhailí) is the local authority of County Offaly, 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 19 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, Anna Marie Delaney. The county town is Tullamore.

## History

[edit]

Offaly County Council was established on 1 April 1899 under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 for the administrative county of King's County.[1][2][3] The 1920 King's County Council election saw significant gains for Sinn Féin.[4] At the annual meeting of 19 June 1920, the council resolved "to revive the ancient and illustrious title of Offaly", with a motion passing to the effect, "That this County Council of the elected representatives of Offaly change the name of King's County Council to Offaly County Council, and that all printed matter dealing with the business of the Council adopt the new title".[5] The Local Government Board for Ireland wrote to the council stating that it did not have the power to alter the name of the county.[6] The name Offaly was used by the Irish Free State after its establishment in 1922.[7]

Originally Tullamore Courthouse had been the meeting place of Offaly County Council.[8][9] The county council moved to modern facilities at Áras an Chontae in 2002.[10]

## Regional Assembly

[edit]

Offaly County Council has two representatives on the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly who are part of the Midland Strategic Planning Area Committee.[11][12]

## Elections

[edit]

The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1919 introduced the electoral system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV) for the 1920 Irish local elections.[13] This electoral system has been retained, with the 19 members of Offaly County Council elected for a five-year term of office from multi-member local electoral areas (LEAs).

Year  |  | FF |  | FG |  | Ren |  | IDP |  | SD |  | GP |  | SF |  | II |  | PDs |  | Lab |  | Ind | Total

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2024 | 8  | 5  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 0  | 3  | 1  | —  | 0  | 2  | 19
2019 | 8  | 4  | 1  | 1  | 1  | 1  | 0  | —  | —  | 0  | 3  | 19
2014 | 8  | 3  | —  | —  | —  | 0  | 3  | —  | —  | 0  | 5  | 19
2009 | 9  | 6  | —  | —  | —  | 0  | 0  | —  | —  | 0  | 6  | 21
2004 | 8  | 6  | —  | —  | —  | 0  | 0  | —  | 2  | 0  | 5  | 21
1999 | 9  | 7  | —  | —  | —  | 0  | 0  | —  | 0  | 1  | 4  | 21
1991 | 10  | 6  | —  | —  | —  | 0  | 0  | —  | 1  | 1  | 3  | 21
1985 | 12  | 6  | —  | —  | —  | 0  | 0  | —  | —  | 0  | 3  | 21

## Local electoral areas and municipal districts

[edit]

County Offaly is divided into LEAs, defined by electoral divisions, to elect members of the council and into municipal districts for governance at a local level.[14]

Municipal District and LEA  | Definition  | Seats

|
|

Birr | Aghancon, Ballincor, Banagher, Barna, Birr Rural, Birr Urban, Broughal, Cangort, Cloghan, Clonmacnoise, Cullenwaine, Derrinboy, Derryad, Doon, Dromoyle, Drumcullen, Dunkerrin, Eglish, Ettagh, Ferbane, Gallen, Gorteen (in the former Rural District of Roscrea No. 2), Hinds, Huntston, Kilcolman, Kilcormac, Killooly, Killyon, Kinnitty, Knockbarron, Lea, Letter, Lumcloon, Lusmagh, Mounterin, Mountheaton, Moyclare, Roscomroe, Seirkieran, Shannonbridge, Shannonharbour, Shinrone, Srah, Templeharry and Tulla | 6
Edenderry | Ballaghassaan, Ballyburly, Ballycommon, Ballymacwilliam, Ballyshear, Bracknagh, Clonbulloge, Clonmore, Clonygowan, Croghan, Daingean, Edenderry Rural, Edenderry Urban, Esker, Geashill, Hammerlane, Kilclonfert, Knockdrin, Monasteroris, Mountbriscoe, ODempsey, Portarlington North, Raheenakeeran and Rathfeston | 6
Tullamore | Ballycumber, Bawn, Cappancur, Clara, Derrycooly, Durrow, Gorteen (in the former Rural District of Tullamore), Kilcumreragh, Killeigh, Killoughy, Rahan, Rathrobin, Screggan, Silverbrook, Tinamuck, Tinnycross, Tullamore Rural and Tullamore Urban | 7

## Councillors

[edit]

### 2024 seats summary

[edit]

Party  | Seats

|

| Fianna Fáil | 8
| Fine Gael | 5
| Sinn Féin | 3
| Independent Ireland | 1
| Independent | 2

### Councillors by electoral area

[edit]

This list reflects the order in which councillors were elected on 7 June 2024.[15]

Council members from 2024 election

LEA  | Name  | Party
Birr | Peter Ormond |  |  Fianna Fáil
John Leahy |  |  Independent
John Clendennen[a] |  |  Fine Gael
Hugh Egan |  |  Fine Gael
Sean Maher |  |  Sinn Féin
Audrey Hennessy Kennedy |  |  Fianna Fáil
Edenderry | Eddie Fitzpatrick[b] |  |  Fianna Fáil
Fergus McDonnell |  |  Independent Ireland
Claire Murray |  |  Fianna Fáil
Liam Quinn |  |  Fine Gael
Noel Cribbin |  |  Fine Gael
Claire Murray |  |  Sinn Féin
Tullamore | Neil Feighery |  |  Fine Gael
Frank Moran |  |  Fianna Fáil
Seán O'Brien |  |  Independent
Tony McCormack[a] |  |  Fianna Fáil
Aoife Masterson |  |  Sinn Féin
Declan Harvey |  |  Fianna Fáil
Ollie Bryant |  |  Fianna Fáil

Notes

1. ^ a b Replaced during term, see table below for details.
2. ^ Changed party, see table below for details.

#### Co-options

[edit]

Party  | Outgoing  | LEA  | Reason  | Date  | Co-optee

|
|
|
|
|

|  Fianna Fáil | Tony McCormack | Tullamore  | Elected to 34th Dáil at the 2024 general election | 16 December 2024  | Shane Murray[16]
|  Fine Gael | John Clendennen | Birr  | Elected to 34th Dáil at the 2024 general election  | 16 December 2024  | Eleanor Clendennen[17]

#### Changes in affiliation

[edit]

Name  | LEA  | Elected as  | New affiliation  | Date

|
|
|
|

Eddie Fitzpatrick  | Edenderry  |  |  Fianna Fáil |  |  Independent | 8 October 2024[18]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898, s. 1: Establishment of county councils (61 & 62 Vict., c. 37 of 1898, s. 1). Enacted on 12 August 1898. Act of the UK Parliament. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book.
2. ^ Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898, s. 124: Commencement of Act (61 & 62 Vict., c. 37 of 1898, s. 124). Enacted on 12 August 1898. Act of the UK Parliament. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book.
3. ^ "Orders declaring the boundaries of administrative counties and defining county electoral divisions: King's County". 27th Report of the Local Government Board for Ireland (Cmd. 9480). Dublin: Local Government Board for Ireland. 1900. p. 278.
4. ^ "The King's/ Offaly County Council election of June 1920: 'remarkable, memorable, and revolutionary'". Offaly History. 12 July 2021. Archived from the original on 16 March 2025. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
5. ^ "Sources: Researching the War of Independence at Offaly Archives". Offaly History Blog. 17 February 2021.
6. ^ "Records of Offaly County Council: Item 2 - Minute Book (1920)". Offaly History. Offaly Archives.
7. ^ "Offaly County Scheme Order 1923". Irish Statute Book. 28 June 1923. Archived from the original on 6 February 2025. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
8. ^ Byrne, Michael (15 June 2019). "Local Government in Offaly: The county council and marking 120 years of local democracy". Offaly History. Archived from the original on 12 November 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
9. ^ "Tullamore Courthouse" (PDF). NMA Architects. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 July 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
10. ^ "Áras an Chontae, Tullamore". Irish architecture awards. Archived from the original on 12 November 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
11. ^ 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 1 May 2023.
12. ^ "EMRA Members". Eastern & Midland Regional Assembly. Archived from the original on 17 May 2025. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
13. ^ "Local Government (Ireland) Act 1919 (c. 19)". legislation.gov.uk. The National Archives.
14. ^ County of Offaly Local Electoral Areas and Municipal Districts Order 2018 (S.I. No. 630 of 2018). Signed on 19 December 2018. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Archived from the original on 20 January 2020. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 11 September 2020.
15. ^ "Offaly County Council – Elected Candidates". RTÉ News. Archived from the original on 7 October 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
16. ^ "Popular community champion selected to replace newly elected Dail Deputy on Offaly County Council". Offalylive. 13 December 2024. Archived from the original on 13 December 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
17. ^ Grennan, Geraldine (16 December 2024). "Two new Cllrs co-opted onto Offaly County Council". Offaly Independent. Archived from the original on 19 December 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
18. ^ Gearoid, Keegan (8 October 2024). "Election shock in Portarlington as Fianna Fail councillor opts to run for Dail as independent". Leinster Express. Archived from the original on 9 October 2024. Retrieved 11 October 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Elections to Offaly County Council

* 1899
* 1902
* 1905
* 1908
* 1911
* 1914
* 1920
* 1925
* 1928
* 1934
* 1942
* 1948
* 1955
* 1960
* 1967
* 1974
* 1979
* 1985
* 1991
* 1999
* 2004
* 2009
* 2014
* 2019
* 2024

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Abolished structures|

* Town councils
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Acts|

* Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Act 1840
* Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898
* Local Government (Ireland) Act 1919
* Local Government Act 1925
* Local Government (Dublin) Act 1930
* Local Government (Dublin) Act 1993
* Local Government Act 2001
* Local Government Reform Act 2014
* Local Government Act 2019

See also|

* Chief executive
* Local electoral areas
* Local government in Dublin

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