Cllr Paddy O'Rourke elected Cathaoirleach of new Leitrim County Council

Cllr Paddy O'Rourke has been elected as the new Cathaoirleach of Leitrim County Council for 2024-2025.

At the first meeting of the new Council in Aras an Chontae today, Cllr O'Rourke, who topped the poll in Co Leitrim, won a vote by 13 votes to 5 to take the chair for the coming year.

Cllr O'Rourke was formally proposed by his party colleague Cllr Gary Prior and seconded by Cllr Sean McGowan.

Cllr Cormac Flynn, Sinn Féin, had proposed his party colleague Cllr Padraig Fallon for the position, seconded by Cllr Brendan Barry.

After taking the chair, Cllr O'Rourke thanked his proposer and seconder and all who supported his nomination as chair.

He congratulated everybody who got elected and was "particularly grateful to see that the 12 outgoing councillors who sought to be re-elected were re-elected comfortably" and said that said something about the view the public had on the way they were operating the Council. 

"There's not many other counties where all of the outgoing members who sought re-election were returned and I think it says something about the calibre of the people during the lifetime of the last council," he said.

To the six new people elected he deeply congratulated them and told them to ask plenty of questions if they didn't know something or understand something, paying tribute to the excellent staff of Leitrim County Council.

He wished everybody every success for the next five years and before concluding, he praised "the manner in which our staff conducted the whole business of the local election and particularly the speed and precision of the count, making sure everything was done to the letter of the law."  He also praised the venue, The Landmark Hotel, which he said "was excellent and lent itself to the comfort of those attending."

At the start of the meeting, Interim Chief Executive, Joseph Gilhooly, congratulated each of the councillors on being re-elected.

He said Leitrim County Council has always been an outward looking council, a very positive one and has delivered a lot for Co Leitrim over the years.

He said the county did very well under the tenure of the last Council and he looks forward to continuing that work in the next five years.