Offaly County 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.

Offaly County Council Comhairle Chontae Uíbh Fhailí
Type
Type	County council of County Offaly
History
Founded	1 April 1899
Leadership
Cathaoirleach	John Leahy, Ind
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

History

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

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

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

Local electoral areas and municipal districts

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

2024 seats summary

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

Councillors by electoral area

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. Replaced during term, see table below for details.
2. Changed party, see table below for details.

Co-options

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

Name	LEA	Elected as		New affiliation		Date
Eddie Fitzpatrick	Edenderry		Fianna Fáil		Independent	8 October 2024[18]