Limerick City Council

Limerick City Council Comhairle Cathrach Luimnigh
Type
Type	City Council of Limerick
Leadership
Mayor	Maria Byrne, Fine Gael
Members	17
Political groups	Fine Gael (8)      Labour Party (4)      Fianna Fáil (1)      Sinn Féin (1)      Independents (3)
Elections
Last election	5 June 2009
Meeting place
Limerick City Hall
Website
www.limerickcity.ie

The area governed by the council

Limerick City Council (Irish: Comhairle Cathrach Luimnigh) is the local authority which is responsible for the city of Limerick in Ireland. It is the responsible for local government, sanitation, motor vehicles tax, and social housing.

History

The Council was formerly known as Limerick Corporation after the City of Limerick received its Charter of Incorporation from King John I of England in 1197. The first Mayor of Limerick was Adam Sarvant. Between 1197 and 1651, Limerick City Council was dominated by English settlers.

The period between 1651 and 1656 represents the only break in the existence of Limerick Corporation. This came about by the surrender of the Old English settlers to Cromwellian forces in 1651. During this time, the city was administered by a Military Governor. In 1656, the Corporation was restored, but under Protestant rule. Catholics who had previously run the corporation were excluded from taking part in local government. There was a brief Catholic restoration of power in 1687 when Lord Tyrconnal, appointed by James II of England, deposed the Protestant Mayor and his sheriffs and replaced them with a Catholic Mayor, one Catholic and one Protestant sheriff. Limerick Corporation would remain in Catholic control until the Treaty of Limerick in October 1691.

Between 1691 and 1841, Limerick Corporation was ruled by only a few powerful families. This period is known both as "The long eighteenth Century" and the "Corrupt Corporation".

The Corrupt Corporation was brought to an end after the passing of the Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Act 1840. The act also brought an end to Protestant control of the council.

Limerick had its first female Mayor in 1921 Alderman Maire O'Donovan was appointed Mayor while the incumbent of the position was fund-raising for the newly established government of Ireland in the United States. She held the position for seven months, from 21 May 1921 until 30 January 1922.

In 1934, the Free State government of Ireland enacted the Limerick City Management Act. This new law took away much of the day-to-day responsibilities from the Mayor and gave it to an appointed City Manager.

Following the enactment of the Local Government Act 2001, Limerick Corporation became Limerick City Council.

Council hierarchy

The City Council's day-to-day operations are run by the City Manager. The current City Manager is Tom Mackey.

The powers of the Mayor have been greatly reduced since the 1934 Act, and the role is mainly ceremonial. The Mayor also chairs city council meetings.

Council meetings normally take place on Mondays, however, there are occasions when it convenes on a Tuesday.

Council members are elected by the electorate every five years. Only council members are able to elect the Mayor. A new Mayor is elected in June of each year.

Council services

Limerick City Council is responsible for a number of local administrative services in the City. These include Motor Vehicle Tax, environmental maintenance and litter control, social housing, city planning, maintenance of roads, sanitation and upkeep of municipal sports, recreation facilities and for administrating the higher education grant for university students who reside within the Limerick City boundary. Limerick City Council, however, has no control of suburban areas of the overall Limerick City urban area. Limerick County Council is responsible for areas such as Castletroy and Dooradoyle while Clare County Council is responsible for areas such as Shannon Banks and Westbury. The situation of three local authorities controlling a relatively small city has drawn much criticism and efforts are being made to extend the city boundary and for one local authority to control the whole Limerick City urban area. Notable results from this situation include an incoherent growth strategy for the city and a gradual decline in the city centre as a large number of out of town shopping malls have been built in the suburbs with little focus on the city centre.

Composition and political control

Currently Limerick City Council consists of three Local Electoral Areas; Limerick East, Limerick North and Limerick South which elect four, six and seven councillors respectively.

Fine Gael are the largest party on the council with eight seats, followed by Labour Party with four, Independents with three and Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin with one each.

Councillors by electoral area

This list reflects the order in which councillors were elected on 5 June 2009.

Council members from 2009 election
Local Electoral Area	Name	Party
Limerick East	John Gilligan		Independent
	Kieran O'Hanlon		Fianna Fáil
	Gerry McLoughlin		Labour Party
	Denis McCarthy		Fine Gael
Limerick North	Michael Hourigan		Fine Gael
	Cormac Hurley		Fine Gael
	Maurice Quinlivan		Sinn Féin
	Kevin Kiely‡		Fine Gael
	Tom Shortt		Labour Party
	Katherine Leddin		Independent
Limerick South	Joe Leddin		Labour Party
	Maria Byrne		Fine Gael
	Ger Fahy		Fine Gael
	Jim Long		Fine Gael
	Orla McLoughlin		Labour Party

‡ Changed Party, see table below.

Changes in Party

Name	Electoral area	Original Party		New Party		Date
Kevin Kiely	Limerick North		Fine Gael		Independent	January 2011

Proposed merger with County Council

On 28 June 2011, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government Phil Hogan announced that Limerick City Council and Limerick County Council would be merged into a single local authority. The merger would come into effect following the 2014 local elections. The new entity would be headed by a directly elected Mayor, with a five-year term.

See also

• Limerick City Gallery of Art
• Limerick City Museum

External links

• Limerick City Council website
• First Citizens of the Treaty City: The Mayors and Mayorlty of Limerick (1197-2007) - Mattew Potter