Mary Rose Desmond completes the move from County Hall to City Hall

Sun, 26 May, 2019 - 15:55

David Linnane

FIANNA Fáil's Mary Rose Desmond has become the first county councillor to be elected to Cork City Council after the boundary extension.

Ms Desmond, parliamentary assistant to Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin, was first elected for the Ballincollig-Carrigaline district in Cork County Council in 2014, but her Rochestown-Douglas base was moved into the city for this election.

Fianna Fail candidate Maryrose Desmond, centre, with supporters Ciara Desmond and Gail Ellis, at the counting of votes for the local elections at City Hall, Cork.Picture: David Keane.

She went over the quota 2,255 quota by 39 votes on the sixth count, following the redistribution of her former County Council colleague Joe Harris' votes.

She said that she expects a difference in her workload as she shifts from County Hall to City Hall, but believes the issues are the same.

"I think there will be a difference. Some of the demographic is different. That is going to have change in regards to my workload.

"People's issues are fairly similar across the board, no matter where they're coming from. Without a doubt, it's housing, it's health - those are the two big ones.

"There's a small few days to take a breath, but then it's back to work from there and I'm looking forward to it," she said.