‘An honour’: Cllr O’Rourke bids farewell to Cathaoirleach role on Leitrim County Council

Cllr Paddy O’Rourke concluded his year-long term as Cathaoirleach of Leitrim County Council on Friday, June 27, at the Council’s Annual Meeting.

The Fianna Fáil councillor from Carrigallen reflected on his tenure during the meeting, before the formal election of Cllr Paddy Farrell as his successor.

Cllr O’Rourke said it was “an honour” to have served as Cathaoirleach.

His first official duty in the role was officiating the opening of the Access to the Sea in Tullaghan last June. His final engagement took place in his hometown of Carrigallen, where he welcomed Minister Dara Calleary to the GAA clubhouse on Friday, June 20.

READ NEXT: Leitrim man (92) living with Motor Neurone disease receives award from Taoiseach

“In between, I was in practically every town and village of County Leitrim. We had some very substantial projects which have come to fruition,” he said. “I was very privileged to be part of all that.”

Looking back on the year, Cllr O’Rourke shared that the standout moment of his term was welcoming the Leitrim Ladies team back to Carrigallen following their victory in the Intermediate All-Ireland Mary Quinn Cup last August.

“To be Cathaoirleach and in your own village, to welcome the Leitrim team back was a privilege. I would regard that as a highlight for me,” he remarked.

He extended his gratitude to Council members, staff, and his family for their support and cooperation throughout his time as Cathaoirleach.

Fellow councillors praised Cllr O’Rourke for his fairness, dedication, and passion in the role. Cllr Enda McGloin described him as an “excellent public speaker” and recognised his two decades of service as a public representative. He humorously likened Cllr O’Rourke to RTÉ broadcaster Joe Duffy – who also stepped down on June 27 – saying someone had called Duffy “a therapist, an advocate and a voice for the people,” a description he said suited O’Rourke as well.

READ NEXT: Hundreds attend Leitrim event on turning vacant buildings into vibrant homes

“There were some days when I got almost as many phone calls,” Cllr O’Rourke joked.

He also expressed appreciation for Cllr Sean McGowan, who served as Leas Cathaoirleach. “On the occasions I had to delegate to Sean, he was always up for it and very cooperative. “His experience and years of dedication shone through on every occasion,” Cllr O’Rourke said.

To mark the conclusion of his term, Leitrim County Council CEO Joseph Gilhooly presented Cllr O’Rourke with a commemorative scrapbook featuring photos from the past year.

“On behalf of the senior team, we’d like to thank him for his courtesy. We had a good year with Paddy in the chair,” Mr Gilhooly said.