Fianna Fáil councillor Fergal Dennehy elected as Cork's new Lord Mayor

Cork’s new Lord Mayor has said he is filled with humility and pride to follow in the footsteps of his father, who wore the chain of Tomás MacCurtain and Terence MacSwiney more than four decades ago.

Fianna Fáil councillor Fergal Dennehy was elected Lord Mayor at this evening’s annual meeting of Cork City Council, with 23 votes.

A councillor since 2004, Mr Dennehy is the son of widely respected former Fianna Fáil TD John, who was first elected to the then Cork Corporation in 1974, serving as lord mayor from 1983 to 1984, and to Dáil Éireann in 1987.

The new Lord Mayor’s mother, Phil, passed away two years ago. At the time, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin, who was then Tánaiste, said Phil and John had personified the community ethos of Cork, and of Ballyphehane and Togher in particular.

In his inaugural speech, Mr Dennehy said he felt the presence of his mother, and his brother and sister, Peter and Ann, and his uncle Oliver, who passed away recently.

“To me, this role is not just a title, it is a sacred trust bestowed upon me by the people of this great city,” he said.

“I am deeply honoured to accept it fully aware of the responsibility it carries.” 

Cork stood at a crossroads, he said, “facing challenges that demand bold vision and decisive action”.

He cited housing as being among the city’s most pressing challenges, and he said that the current transformation of Cork’s transport infrastructure needed to serve all citizens equitably and protect the city’s environment for future generations. He added that the safety of the city centre would be a priority of his term.

In attendance in the public gallery were members of Mr Dennehy’s family, as well as many of his friends, and there was warm applause for a proud John Dennehy.

Fianna Fáil’s Margaret McDonnell was elected deputy lord mayor.

Among the visiting dignitaries in the chamber were Taoiseach Micheál Martin, TDs Colm Burke, Jerry Buttimer, Thomas Gould, Pádraig O’Sullivan, Pádraig Rice, and Senator Laura Harmon. 

Mr Dennehy succeeds Dan Boyle, who last June became Cork’s first Green Party lord mayor.

In his speech, Mr Boyle said being lord mayor had been the greatest honour of his life, and he thanked his deputy, Green Party councillor Honore Kamegni, for all his support.

The election of Mr Dennehy comes under the terms of an alliance - forged after last year’s local elections - between Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, the Green Party and the Labour Party.

Mr Dennehy is likely to be succeeded next year by Fine Gael councillor Damian Boylan, with the planned lords mayor for the final two years of this council term understood to be Fianna Fáil’s Mary Rose Desmond and the Labour Party’s John Maher respectively.