Lord Mayor represents Cork at Summit of the Cities in Belfast

Fine Gael councillor Damian Boylan, Lord Mayor of Cork, met with mayors of Ireland’s other 11 cities at a historic event in Belfast last week.

The event marked the first time ever that civic representatives of every city on the island — including lord mayors, mayors, and chairpersons — came together to discuss shared challenges, opportunities for collaboration, knowledge-sharing and partnership between urban centres across Ireland.

The inaugural Summit of the Cities saw Mr Boylan participate in a panel discussion alongside Lord Mayor of Belfast Róis-Máíre Donnelly, and Lord Mayor of Dublin Ray McAdam.

The summit explored topics including arts and culture, cross-border trade, housing and regeneration, smart cities, and AI. The event also welcomed a number of international speakers, including former New York city mayor Bill de Blasio and former cabinet office second permanent secretary Sue Gray.