Kerry County Council
Encyclopedia
Kerry County Council is the local authority
which is responsible for County Kerry
in Ireland
. The Council is responsible for Housing
and Community, Roads and Transport
ation, Urban planning
and Development, Amenity and Culture
, and Environment
. The head of the council has the title of Mayor
. The county seat
is at Áras an Chontae, Rathass, Tralee.
The county council is governed by the Local Government Act 2001
. The county is divided into five local electoral area
s and has 27 councillors who are elected every five years by single transferable vote
. The county administration is headed by a County Manager, currently Tom Curran.
, legislation passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom
, of which Ireland formed a part at that time. The 1898 act introduced elected county council
s to Ireland, following their establishment in England and Wales in 1889
and Scotland in 1890
. The first election was held on 6 April 1899, and the council first met on 22 April. The first council had 30 members. Of these, 22 were directly elected for single-member county electoral divisions. The remainder of the council consisted of the chairmen of the 6 rural district councils
, who were ex officio members and an additional 2 members who were chosen by co-option
. The council initially met in the former Grand Jury room of the County Courthouse in Nelson Street (now Ashe Street) in Tralee, and elections of the entire council were held every three years.
In January 1910 the council moved its headquarters to a purpose-built county hall on Godfrey Place. The method of election was changed to proportional representation
under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1919, with the first elections under the new sysytem held on 2 June 1920. The election took place during the Irish War of Independence
, and control of the council was won by Sinn Féin
. The building was set on fire by British Black and Tans
during the "Siege of Tralee" of November 1920.
Following the independence of the Irish Free State
, responsibility for local government was taken by the new government. During the Irish Civil War
, the government used its powers to dissolve the council in May 1923, with a commissioner appointed to conduct the business of the council. A new council was elected in May 1926. The council moved to new premises, the Ashe Memorial Hall, Denny Street, Tralee in March 1928. In September 1930 the council was again dissolved and a commissioner appointed. Following the election of a Fianna Fáil
government, the councillors displaced in 1930 were restored to office in May 1932.
In 1942 the number of councillors was reduced from 30 to 26. At the same time the county management sysyem was introduced. The council was again dissolved in May 1945, with elections resuming in October 1948. In 1953 the term of office for councillors was increased from 3 to 5 years, and in 1985 the number of councillors was increased to the present number of 27. In January 1989 the council moved to Áras an Chontae, Rathass.
(3) , Killarney
(7), Killorglin
(5), Listowel (5) and Tralee (7).
‡Michael Cahill and Tom Fleming left Fianna Fáil in January 2011, to become independents.
†Four councillors who were elected to the council at the 2009 poll were elected to Dáil Éireann
at the 2011 general election. Accordingly their council seats were filled by co-option.
#Marie Moloney was elected to Seanad Éireann
in June 2011. Her vacant seat was filled by co-option.
Local government in the Republic of Ireland
Local government functions in the Republic of Ireland are mostly exercised by thirty-four local authorities, termed county or city councils, which cover the entire territory of the state. The area under the jurisdiction of each of these authorities corresponds to the area of each of the 34 LAU I...
which is responsible for County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
in Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. The Council is responsible for Housing
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
and Community, Roads and Transport
Transport
Transport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
ation, Urban planning
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
and Development, Amenity and Culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
, and Environment
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
. The head of the council has the title of Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
. The county seat
County town
A county town is a county's administrative centre in the United Kingdom or Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...
is at Áras an Chontae, Rathass, Tralee.
The county council is governed by the Local Government Act 2001
Local Government Act 2001
The Local Government Act, 2001 was enacted by the Oireachtas of the Republic of Ireland on 21 July 2001. Most of the provisions of the Act came into operation on 1 January 2002....
. The county is divided into five local electoral area
Local electoral area
A local electoral area is a sub-division of a county and city-level local government used for electoral purposes in Ireland. Each local electoral area consists of a number of lower-level units known as district electoral divisions...
s and has 27 councillors who are elected every five years by single transferable vote
Single transferable vote
The single transferable vote is a voting system designed to achieve proportional representation through preferential voting. Under STV, an elector's vote is initially allocated to his or her most preferred candidate, and then, after candidates have been either elected or eliminated, any surplus or...
. The county administration is headed by a County Manager, currently Tom Curran.
Creation to independence
Kerry County Council was created by the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898
The Local Government Act 1898 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that established a system of local government in Ireland similar to that already created for England, Wales and Scotland by legislation in 1888 and 1889...
, legislation passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
, of which Ireland formed a part at that time. The 1898 act introduced elected county council
County council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.-United Kingdom:...
s to Ireland, following their establishment in England and Wales in 1889
Local Government Act 1888
The Local Government Act 1888 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which established county councils and county borough councils in England and Wales...
and Scotland in 1890
Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889
The Local Government Act 1889 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which was passed on 26 August 1889. The main effect of the Act was to establish elected county councils in Scotland...
. The first election was held on 6 April 1899, and the council first met on 22 April. The first council had 30 members. Of these, 22 were directly elected for single-member county electoral divisions. The remainder of the council consisted of the chairmen of the 6 rural district councils
Rural district
Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the administrative counties.-England and Wales:In England...
, who were ex officio members and an additional 2 members who were chosen by co-option
Co-option
A co-opting or less frequently co-optation most commonly refers to action performed in a number of fields whereby an opponent is nullified or neutralized by absorption but there are other distinct senses as well....
. The council initially met in the former Grand Jury room of the County Courthouse in Nelson Street (now Ashe Street) in Tralee, and elections of the entire council were held every three years.
In January 1910 the council moved its headquarters to a purpose-built county hall on Godfrey Place. The method of election was changed to proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1919, with the first elections under the new sysytem held on 2 June 1920. The election took place during the Irish War of Independence
Irish War of Independence
The Irish War of Independence , Anglo-Irish War, Black and Tan War, or Tan War was a guerrilla war mounted by the Irish Republican Army against the British government and its forces in Ireland. It began in January 1919, following the Irish Republic's declaration of independence. Both sides agreed...
, and control of the council was won by Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
. The building was set on fire by British Black and Tans
Black and Tans
The Black and Tans was one of two newly recruited bodies, composed largely of British World War I veterans, employed by the Royal Irish Constabulary as Temporary Constables from 1920 to 1921 to suppress revolution in Ireland...
during the "Siege of Tralee" of November 1920.
Post-independence
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
, responsibility for local government was taken by the new government. During the Irish Civil War
Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War was a conflict that accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom within the British Empire....
, the government used its powers to dissolve the council in May 1923, with a commissioner appointed to conduct the business of the council. A new council was elected in May 1926. The council moved to new premises, the Ashe Memorial Hall, Denny Street, Tralee in March 1928. In September 1930 the council was again dissolved and a commissioner appointed. Following the election of a Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál...
government, the councillors displaced in 1930 were restored to office in May 1932.
In 1942 the number of councillors was reduced from 30 to 26. At the same time the county management sysyem was introduced. The council was again dissolved in May 1945, with elections resuming in October 1948. In 1953 the term of office for councillors was increased from 3 to 5 years, and in 1985 the number of councillors was increased to the present number of 27. In January 1989 the council moved to Áras an Chontae, Rathass.
Councillors
For the purpose of elections the council is divided into five local electoral areas: DingleDingle
Dingle is a town in County Kerry, Ireland. The only town on the Dingle Peninsula, it sits on the Atlantic coast, about 49 kilometres southwest of Tralee and 71 kilometres northwest of Killarney....
(3) , Killarney
Killarney
Killarney is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. The town is located north of the MacGillicuddy Reeks, on the northeastern shore of the Lough Lein/Leane which are part of Killarney National Park. The town and its surrounding region are home to St...
(7), Killorglin
Killorglin
Killorglin is a town in County Kerry, Ireland. It is located on the river Laune, which has a rowing club and a new boathouse. The population of Killorglin is 4,150 although this expands considerably during Puck Fair due to visitors and returning emigrants.Killorglin is a major activity centre...
(5), Listowel (5) and Tralee (7).
2009 Seats summary
| Party | Seats | |
|---|---|---|
| Fine Gael Fine Gael Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000... |
10 | |
| Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál... |
7 | |
| Labour Party Labour Party (Ireland) The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish... |
4 | |
| Sinn Féin Sinn Féin Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970... |
2 | |
| SKIA South Kerry Independent Alliance The South Kerry Independent Alliance is a minor political party in the Republic of Ireland. It was established by former Labour Party members in the 1990s based in the Kerry South constituency... |
1 | |
| Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... s |
3 | |
Councillors by electoral area
This list reflects the order in which councillors were elected on 5 June 2009.‡Michael Cahill and Tom Fleming left Fianna Fáil in January 2011, to become independents.
†Four councillors who were elected to the council at the 2009 poll were elected to Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
at the 2011 general election. Accordingly their council seats were filled by co-option.
#Marie Moloney was elected to Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann
Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas , which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann . It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its members Senators or Seanadóirí . Unlike Dáil Éireann, it is not directly elected but consists of a mixture of members chosen by...
in June 2011. Her vacant seat was filled by co-option.
2011 co-option
| Elected to 31st Dáil Members of the 31st Dáil This is a list of the members who were elected to the 31st Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These TDs were elected at the 2011 general election on 25 February 2011 and met at midday on 9 March 2011... |
Party | Electoral area | Co-optee | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brendan Griffin Brendan Griffin (Kerry politician) Brendan Griffin is an Irish Fine Gael politician. He was elected as a Teachta Dála for the Kerry South constituency at the 2011 general election.... |
Fine Gael Fine Gael Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000... |
Dingle Dingle Dingle is a town in County Kerry, Ireland. The only town on the Dingle Peninsula, it sits on the Atlantic coast, about 49 kilometres southwest of Tralee and 71 kilometres northwest of Killarney.... |
Matthew Griffin | Fine Gael Fine Gael Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000... |
||
| Tom Fleming Tom Fleming (Irish politician) Tom Fleming is an independent politician in Ireland. He was elected at the 2011 general election to Dáil Éireann as a Teachta Dála for Kerry South.... |
Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
Killarney Killarney Killarney is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. The town is located north of the MacGillicuddy Reeks, on the northeastern shore of the Lough Lein/Leane which are part of Killarney National Park. The town and its surrounding region are home to St... |
John Joe Culloty | Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party , more commonly known as Fianna Fáil is a centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland, founded on 23 March 1926. Fianna Fáil's name is traditionally translated into English as Soldiers of Destiny, although a more accurate rendition would be Warriors of Fál... |
||
| Michael Healy-Rae Michael Healy-Rae Michael Healy-Rae is an independent politician in Ireland. He was elected at the general election in February 2011 to the 31st Dáil Éireann as a Teachta Dála for Kerry South.... |
Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
Killorglin Killorglin Killorglin is a town in County Kerry, Ireland. It is located on the river Laune, which has a rowing club and a new boathouse. The population of Killorglin is 4,150 although this expands considerably during Puck Fair due to visitors and returning emigrants.Killorglin is a major activity centre... |
Johnny Healy-Rae | Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
||
| Arthur Spring Arthur Spring Arthur Spring is an Irish Labour Party politician. He was elected as a Teachta Dála for the Kerry North–West Limerick constituency at the 2011 general election. He was elected to Kerry County Council and Tralee Town Council in 2009, and is a former Mayor of Tralee... |
Labour Party Labour Party (Ireland) The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish... |
Tralee | Gillian Wharton-Slattery | Labour Party Labour Party (Ireland) The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish... |
||
| Elected to 24th Seanad Éireann Members of the 24th Seanad This is a list of the members of the 24th Seanad Éireann, the upper house of the Oireachtas of Ireland. These Senators were elected on 27 April 2011 after postal voting closed. The Taoiseach's nominees were announced on 20 May 2011. The Seanad election took place 60 days after the 2011 general... |
Party | Electoral area | Co-optee | Party | ||
| Marie Moloney Marie Moloney Marie Moloney is an Irish Labour Party politician and member of Seanad Éireann.From Coolick, Kilcummin, near Killarney, Moloney was educated at the local national school and at Killarney Technical College. From 1992 to 2007 she was constituency secretary of Breeda Moynihan-Cronin, who was then a... |
Labour Party Labour Party (Ireland) The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish... |
Killarney Killarney Killarney is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. The town is located north of the MacGillicuddy Reeks, on the northeastern shore of the Lough Lein/Leane which are part of Killarney National Park. The town and its surrounding region are home to St... |
Breeda Moynihan-Cronin | Labour Party Labour Party (Ireland) The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Republic of Ireland. The Labour Party was founded in 1912 in Clonmel, County Tipperary, by James Connolly, James Larkin and William X. O'Brien as the political wing of the Irish Trade Union Congress. Unlike the other main Irish... |
||
See also
- Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898The Local Government Act 1898 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that established a system of local government in Ireland similar to that already created for England, Wales and Scotland by legislation in 1888 and 1889...
- Local government in the Republic of IrelandLocal government in the Republic of IrelandLocal government functions in the Republic of Ireland are mostly exercised by thirty-four local authorities, termed county or city councils, which cover the entire territory of the state. The area under the jurisdiction of each of these authorities corresponds to the area of each of the 34 LAU I...