Cork County Council (Irish: Comhairle Contae Chorcaí) is the local authority of County Cork, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001, as amended. The council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning and development, amenity and culture, and environment. The council has 55 elected members. Elections are held every five years and are by single transferable vote. The head of the council has the title of Mayor. The county administration is headed by a Chief Executive, Valerie O'Sullivan.[1] The county seat is Cork.
Cork County Council Comhairle Contae Chorcaí | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
Frank O'Flynn, FF | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 55 |
 | |
Political groups |
|
| Elections | |
Last election | 24 May 2019 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| County Hall, Cork | |
| Website | |
Official website  | |
History
Cork County Council was established on 1 April 1899 under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 for the administrative county of County Cork.[2][3][4] Originally meetings of Cork County Council were held in the back portion of the top floor of Cork Courthouse.[5] By the 1950s these premises were becoming inadequate and County Hall opened in April 1968.[6]
Boundary change
The area under the administration of Cork County Council was reduced on 31 May 2019, ceding territory to Cork City Council.[7] This implemented changes under the Local Government Act 2019.[8]
The 2015 Cork Local Government Review had recommended merging Cork City Council and Cork County Council into a single "super council"; however, a minority report opposed the merger, with a subsequent report published by an expert advisory group in 2017 recommending a city boundary extension.[9][10][11]
Regional Assembly
Cork County Council has five representatives on the Southern Regional Assembly who are part of the South-West Strategic Planning Area Committee.[12]
Elections
Members of Cork 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 | Lab | GP | SD | PDs | WP | Ind | Total | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 20 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | 0 | 10 | 55 | |||||||||
| 2014 | 16 | 17 | 10 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 10 | 55 | |||||||||
| 2009 | 22 | 12 | 1 | 7 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 6 | 48 | |||||||||
| 2004 | 24 | 16 | 1 | 5 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 2 | 48 | |||||||||
| 1999 | 21 | 19 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 3 | 48 | |||||||||
| 1991 | 20 | 19 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 1 | 1 | 3 | 48 | |||||||||
| 1985 | 19 | 24 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 2 | 48 | |||||||||
Local Electoral Areas and Municipal Districts
County Cork is divided into the municipal districts and local electoral areas, defined by electoral divisions.[13]
| Municipal District | LEA | Definition | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bandon–Kinsale | Abbeymahon, Ballinadee, Ballinspittle, Ballyfeard, Ballymackean, Ballymartle, Ballymodan, Ballymurphy, Bandon, Baurleigh, Boulteen, Brinny, Butlerstown, Cashel, Coolmain, Courtmacsherry, Cullen (in the former Rural District of Kinsale), Inishannon, Kilbrittain, Kilbrogan, Kilmaloda East, Kilmaloda West, Kilmonoge, Kinsale Rural, Kinsale Urban, Kinure, Knockavilly, Knockroe, Laherne, Leighmoney, Murragh, Nohaval, Rathclarin, Templemartin, Templemichael, Templeomalus and Timoleague. | 6 | |
| Carrigaline | Ballyfoyle, Carrigaline (in the former rural district of Kinsale), Dunderrow, Farranbrien, Kilpatrick, Liscleary, Monkstown Urban, Templebreedy; and those parts of the electoral divisions of Ballygarvan, Carrigaline (in the former rural district of Cork), Douglas, Inishkenny, and Monkstown Rural that are not contained within the City of Cork. | 6 | |
| Cobh | Ballynaglogh, Carrignavar, Carrigtohill, Cobh Rural, Cobh Urban, Killeagh (in the former Rural District of Cork), Knockraha, Watergrasshill; and those parts of the electoral divisions of Caherlag, Rathcooney (part), Riverstown and Whitechurch that are not contained within the City of Cork. | 6 | |
| East Cork | Midleton | Ardagh, Ballintemple, Ballycottin, Ballyspillane, Castlemartyr, Clonmult, Clonpriest, Cloyne, Corkbeg, Dangan, Dungourney, Garryvoe, Ightermurragh, Inch, Kilcronat, Killeagh (in the former Rural District of Youghal No.1), Kilmacdonogh, Lisgoold, Midleton Rural, Midleton Urban, Mogeely, Rostellan, Templebodan, Templenacarriga, Youghal Rural (part) and Youghal Urban. | 7 |
| Fermoy | Aghern, Ballyarthur, Ballyhooly, Ballynoe, Carrig (in the former Rural District of Fermoy), Castle Hyde, Castlecooke, Castlelyons, Castletownroche, Clenor, Coole, Curraglass, Derryvillane, Doneraile, Farahy, Fermoy Rural, Fermoy Urban, Glanworth East, Glanworth West, Glenville, Gortnaskehy, Gortroe, Kilcor, Kilcummer, Kildinan, Kildorrery, Kilgullane, Killathy, Kilphelan, Kilworth, Knockmourne, Leitrim, Marshalstown, Mitchelstown, Monanimy, Rathcormack, Shanballymore, Skahanagh, Streamhill, Templemolaga and Wallstown. | 6 | |
| Kanturk–Mallow | Kanturk | Allow, Ardskeagh, Ballyhoolahan, Banteer, Barleyhill, Barnacurra, Bawncross, Boherboy, Castlemagner, Clonfert East, Clonfert West, Clonmeen, Coolclogh, Crinnaloo, Cullen (in the former Rural District of Millstreet), Derragh, Doonasleen, Dromina, Glenlara, Greenane, Kanturk, Keale, Kilbrin, Kilcorney, Kilmeen, Knockatooan, Knocknagree, Knocktemple, Meens, Milford, Milltown, Newmarket, Newtown, Rathcool, Rathluirc, Rosnalee, Rowls, Skagh, Springfort, Tullylease and Williamstown. | 4 |
| Mallow | Ballyclogh, Ballynamona, Blackpool, Buttevant, Caherduggan, Carrig (in the former rural District of Mallow), Castlecor, Churchtown, Dromore, Gortmore, Imphrick, Kilmaclenine, Kilshannig, Knockantota, Liscarroll, Mallow North Urban, Mallow Rural, Mallow South Urban, Nad, Rahan, Roskeen, Templemary and Tincoora. | 5 | |
| Macroom | Aghinagh, Aglish, An Sliabh Riabhach, Ballygroman, Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh (Maigh Chromta) (in the former Rural District of Macroom), Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh (Dún Mánmhaí) (in the former Rural District of Dunmanway), Bealock, Caherbarnagh, Cannaway, Carrigboy, Ceann Droma, Cill na Martra, Claonráth, Clondrohid, Clonmoyle, Coomlogane, Doire Fhínín, Dripsey, Drishane, Firmount, Gort na Tiobratan, Gowlane, Greenfort, Greenville, Inchigeelagh, Kilberrihert, Kilbonane, Kilcullen, Macloneigh, Macroom Urban, Magourney, Mashanaglass, Mountrivers, Moviddy, Na hUláin, Rahalisk, Teerelton, Warrenscourt; and those parts of the electoral divisions of Ballincollig, Blarney, Carrigrohanebeg, Matehy and Ovens that are not contained within the City of Cork. | 6 | |
| West Cork | Bantry–West Cork | Adrigole, Aghadown North, Aghadown South, Ahil, Ballybane, Ballydehob, Bantry Rural, Bantry Urban, Bear, Bredagh, Caheragh, Cloghdonnell, Coolagh, Coulagh, Crookhaven, Curryglass, Douce, Dromdaleague North, Dromdaleague South, Dunbeacon, Dunmanus, Durrus East, Durrus West, Garranes, Garrown, Glanlough, Glengarriff, Goleen, Gortnascreeny, Kealkill, Kilcaskan, Kilcatherine, Kilcoe, Killaconenagh, Killeenleagh, Kilnamanagh, Lowertown, Mealagh, Milane, Scart, Seefin, Sheepshead, Skull, Toormore and Whiddy. | 4 |
| Skibbereen–West Cork | Ardfield, Argideen, Aultagh, Ballingurteen, Ballymoney, Bengour, Cahermore, Carrigbaun, Castlehaven North, Castlehaven South, Castletown, Castleventry, Cléire, Clonakilty Rural, Clonakilty Urban, Cloonkeen, Coolcraheen, Coolmountain, Derry, Drinagh (in the former Rural District of Dunmanway), Drinagh (in the former Rural District of Skibbereen), Dunmanway North, Dunmanway South, Kilfaughnabeg, Kilkerranmore, Kilmoylerane, Kilnagross, Kinneigh, Knocks, Knockskagh, Manch, Myross, Rathbarry, Rosscarbery, Rossmore, Shreelane, Skibbereen Rural, Skibbereen Urban, Teadies, Tullagh and Woodfort | 5 | |
Councillors
The following were elected at the 2019 Cork County Council election.
2019 seats summary
| Party | Seats | |
|---|---|---|
| Fine Gael | 20 | |
| Fianna Fáil | 18 | |
| Green | 2 | |
| Labour | 2 | |
| Sinn Féin | 2 | |
| Social Democrats | 1 | |
| Independent | 10 | |
Councillors by electoral area
This list reflects the order in which councillors were elected on 24 May 2019.
- Notes
Co-options
| Party | Outgoing | Electoral area | Reason | Date | Co-optee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fianna Fáil | Pádraig O'Sullivan | Cobh | Elected to the 32nd Dáil at the 2019 Cork North-Central by-election | February 2020 | Sheila O'Callaghan | |
| Fianna Fáil | James O'Connor | Midleton | Elected to the 33rd Dáil at the 2020 general election | February 2020 | Ann Marie Ahern | |
| Social Democrats | Holly Cairns | Bantry–West Cork | Elected to the 33rd Dáil at the 2020 general election | February 2020 | Ross O'Connell | |
| Fianna Fáil | Christopher O'Sullivan | Skibbereen–West Cork | Elected to the 33rd Dáil at the 2020 general election | February 2020 | Deirdre Kelly | |
| Social Democrats | Ross O'Connell | Bantry–West Cork | Resigned[14] | January 2024 | Chris Heinhold | |
| Labour | James Kennedy | Mallow | Resigned[15] | February 2024 | Eoghan Kenny | |
| Fine Gael | Gerard Murphy | Kanturk | Death of councillor | April 2024 | TBD | |
Changes in affiliation
| Name | Electoral area | Elected as | New affiliation | Date | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Hayes | Skibbereen–West Cork | Sinn Féin | Independent | May 2020 | ||
| Karen Coakley | Skibbereen–West Cork | Fine Gael | Independent | April 2022 | ||
| Liam Quaide | Midleton | Green | Independent | April 2023[16] | ||
| Liam Quaide | Midleton | Independent | Social Democrats | November 2023[17] | ||
| Danielle Twomey | Midleton | Sinn Féin | Independent | December 2023[18] | ||
| William O'Leary | Fermoy | Fianna Fáil | Independent | March 2024[19] | ||
| Danny Collins | Bantry–West Cork | Independent | Independent Ireland | March 2024 | ||