Sligo County Council

Sligo County Council (Irish: Comhairle Chontae Shligigh) is the local authority of County Sligo, 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 18 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, Martin Lydon. The county town is Sligo.

Sligo County Council Comhairle Chontae Shligigh
Type
Type	County council of County Sligo
Leadership
Cathaoirleach	Declan Bree, Ind
Structure
Seats	18
Political groups	Fianna Fáil (6)   Fine Gael (4)   Sinn Féin (2)   Labour (1)   PBP–Solidarity (1)   Independent Ireland (1)   Independent (3)
Elections
Last election	7 June 2024
Motto
Land of Heart's Desire
Meeting place
County Hall, Sligo
Website
sligococo.ie

The area governed by the council

History

Originally meetings of Sligo County Council were held at Sligo Courthouse.^[1] The county council moved to modern facilities, known as County Hall (Irish: Áras an Chontae), in June 1979.^[2]

Following the 2015 RTÉ programme Standards in Public Office, in March 2019, Joe Queenan was found by the Standards in Public Office Commission to have contravened the Local Government Act in three different instances, including failure to maintain proper standards of integrity, conduct and concern for the public interest.^[3]

Regional Assembly

Sligo County Council has two representatives on the Northern and Western Regional Assembly where they are part of the Border Strategic Planning Area Committee.^[4]

Elections

Members of Sligo 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		PBP		I4C		Lab		UL		ISO		Ind	Total
2024	4		6		2		1		0		1		—		—		4		18
2019	6		5		2		1		1		0		—		—		3		18
2014	3		8		2		1		—		0		1		—		3		18
2009	12		7		1		0		—		2		—		—		3		25
2004	10		10		1		—		—		3		—		—		1		25
1999	11		9		1		—		—		2		—		—		2		25
1991	11		11		0		—		—		0		—		1		2		25
1985	9		11		0		—		—		1		—		1		3		25

Local electoral areas and municipal districts

County Sligo is divided into borough and municipal districts and LEAs, defined by electoral divisions.^[5] The municipal district which contains the administrative area of the former borough of Sligo is referred to as a borough district.^[6]

Municipal District	LEA	Definition	Seats
Borough District of Sligo	Sligo–Strandhill	Knockaree, Sligo East, Sligo North and Sligo West	6
Ballymote–Tobercurry		Achonry East, Achonry West, Aclare, Aghanagh, Annagh, Aughris, Ballymote, Ballynakill, Ballynashee, Banada, Branchfield, Breencorragh, Bricklieve, Buncrowey, Carrickbanagher, Carrownaskeagh, Cartron, Castleconor East, Castleconor West, Cloonacool, Cloonoghill, Coolaney, Coolavin, Cuilmore, Dromard East, Dromard West, Dromore, Drumcolumb, Drumfin, Drumrat, Easky East, Easky West, Glendarragh, Kilfree, Kilglass, Killadoon, Killaraght, Kilmacteige, Kilmactranny, Kilshalvy, Kilturra, Lakeview, Leitrim, Lisconny, Loughil, Mullagheruse, Owenmore, Rathmacurkey, Riverstown, Shancough, Skreen, Streamstown, Temple, Templeboy North, Templeboy South, Templevanny, Tobercurry, Toberpatrick East, Toberpatrick West and Toomour	7
Sligo–Drumcliff		Ballintogher East, Ballintogher West, Ballysadare East, Ballysadare West, Calry, Carney, Cliffony North, Cliffony South, Collooney, Drumcliff East, Drumcliff West, Glencar, Kilmacowen, Lissadill East, Lissadill North, Lissadill West, Rossinver East and Rossinver West	7

Councillors

2024 seats summary

Party		Seats[7]
	Fianna Fáil	6
	Fine Gael	4
	Sinn Féin	3
	Labour	1
	PBP–Solidarity	1
	Independent	4

Councillors by electoral area

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

Council members from 2024 election
LEA	Name	Party
Ballymote–Tubbercurry	Paul Taylor		Fianna Fáil
	Joe Queenan		Independent
	Michael Clarke[a]		Independent
	Dara Mulvey		Fine Gael
	Gerard Mullaney		Fine Gael
	Liam Brennan		Fianna Fáil
	Barry Gallagher		Fianna Fáil
Sligo–Drumcliff	Thomas Healy		Sinn Féin
	Edel McSharry		Fianna Fáil
	Thomas Walsh		Fine Gael
	Marie Casserly		Independent
	Dónal Gilroy		Fianna Fáil
Sligo–Strandhill	Declan Bree		Independent
	Tom MacSharry		Fianna Fáil
	Nessa Cosgrove[b]		Labour
	Arthur Gibbons		Sinn Féin
	Fergal Nealon		Fine Gael
	Gino O'Boyle		PBP–Solidarity

Notes

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

Co-options

Party		Outgoing	LEA	Reason	Date	Co-optee
	Labour	Nessa Cosgrove	Sligo–Strandhill	Elected to 27th Seanad at the 2025 Seanad election	18 February 2025	Ann Higgins[8]

Changes in affiliation

Name	LEA	Elected as		New affiliation		Date
Michael Clarke	Ballymote–Tubbercurry		Independent		Independent Ireland	17 October 2024[9]