The term Town Council was introduced into Local government in the Republic of Ireland

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...

 by the Local Government Act 2001. From 1 January 2002 the existing Urban District

Urban district

In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....

 Councils and boards of Town Commissioners

Town Commissioners

Town commissioners were elected local government bodies established in urban areas in Ireland in the nineteenth century. Larger towns with commissioners were converted to urban districts by the Local Government Act 1898, with the smaller commissions continuing to exist beyond partition in 1922.The...

 were renamed as Town Councils.

Towns with town councils

The Local Government Act 2001 listed the Town Councils in Schedule 6, as follows:

Former Urban Districts

• Arklow
  Arklow
  Arklow , also known as Inbhear Dé from the Avonmore river's older name Abhainn Dé, is a historic town located in County Wicklow on the east coast of Ireland. Founded by the Vikings in the ninth century, Arklow was the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the 1798 rebellion...
  
  
• Athlone
• Athy
  Athy
  The town developed from a 12th century Anglo-Norman settlement to an important British military outpost on the border of the Pale.The first town charter dates from the 16th century and the town hall was constructed in the early 18th century...
  
  
• Ballina
  Ballina, County Mayo
  Ballina is a large town in north County Mayo in Ireland. It lies at the mouth of the River Moy near Killala Bay, in the Moy valley and Parish of Kilmoremoy, with the Ox Mountain range to the east and the Nephin Beg mountains to the west...
  
  
• Ballinasloe (Ballinasloe Town Council
  Ballinasloe Town Council
  Ballinasloe Town Council is the municipal authority for the town of Ballinasloe, County Galway, Ireland....
  
  )
• Birr
  Birr
  Birr is a town in County Offaly, Ireland. Once called Parsonstown, after the Parsons family who were local landowners and hereditary Earls of Rosse. It is also a parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe....
  
  
• Bray
  Bray
  Bray is a town in north County Wicklow, Ireland. It is a busy urban centre and seaside resort, with a population of 31,901 making it the fourth largest in Ireland as of the 2006 census...
  
  
• Buncrana
• Bundoran
  Bundoran
  Bundoran is a town in County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in the north of Ireland. The town is located on the N15 road near Ballyshannon, 3 hours drive from Dublin and around two and a quarter hours drive from Belfast...
  
  
• Carlow
  Carlow
  Carlow is the county town of County Carlow in Ireland. It is situated in the south-east of Ireland, 84 km from Dublin. County Carlow is the second smallest county in Ireland by area, however Carlow Town is the 14th largest urban area in Ireland by population according to the 2006 census. The...
  
  
• Carrickmacross
  Carrickmacross
  Carrickmacross or Carrickmacros is a town in County Monaghan, Ireland. The town and environs had a population of 4,387 according to the 2006 census, making it the second largest town in the county. The town won the prestigious European Entente Florale Silver Medal Award. It is a market town which...
  
  
• Carrick-on-Suir
  Carrick-on-Suir
  Carrick-on-Suir is a town in South Tipperary in Ireland. As the name – meaning "the rock of the Suir" – suggests, the town is situated on the River Suir. The of the town gives the population as 5,906 and shows that it has grown by 5.7% since 2002...
  
  
• Cashel
• Castlebar
  Castlebar
  Castlebar is the county town of, and at the centre of, County Mayo in Ireland. It is Mayo's largest town by population. The town's population exploded in the late 1990s, increasing by one-third in just six years, though this massive growth has slowed down greatly in recent years...
  
  
• Castleblayney
  Castleblayney
  Castleblayney or Castleblaney is a town in County Monaghan, Ireland. The town has a population of about 3,000.Castleblayney lies near the border with County Armagh and is on the N2 road from Dublin to Derry...
  
  
• Cavan
  Cavan
  Cavan is the county town of County Cavan in the Republic of Ireland. The town lies in the north central part of Ireland, near the border with Northern Ireland...
  
  
• Clonakilty
  Clonakilty
  Clonakilty , often referred to by locals simply as Clon, is a small town on the N71 national secondary road in West County Cork, Ireland, approximately 45 minutes away by road to the west of Cork City. The town is on the southern coast of the island, and is surrounded by hilly country devoted...
  
  
• Clones
  Clones
  Clones is a small town in western County Monaghan, in the 'border area' of the Republic of Ireland. The area is part of the Border Region, earmarked for economic development by the Irish Government due to its currently below-average economic situation...
  
  
• Cobh
  Cobh
  Cobh is a seaport town on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland. Cobh is on the south side of Great Island in Cork Harbour. Facing the town are Spike Island and Haulbowline Island...
  
  
• Dundalk
  Dundalk
  Dundalk is the county town of County Louth in Ireland. It is situated where the Castletown River flows into Dundalk Bay. The town is close to the border with Northern Ireland and equi-distant from Dublin and Belfast. The town's name, which was historically written as Dundalgan, has associations...
  
  
• Dungarvan
  Dungarvan
  Dungarvan is a town and harbour on the south coast of Ireland in the province of Munster. Dungarvan is the county town and administrative centre of County Waterford. The town's Irish name means "Garbhan's fort", referring to Saint Garbhan who founded a church there in the seventh century...
  
  
• Ennis
  Ennis
  Ennis is the county town of Clare in Ireland. Situated on the River Fergus, it lies north of Limerick and south of Galway. Its name is a shortening of the original ....
  
  
• Enniscorthy
  Enniscorthy
  Enniscorthy is the second largest town in County Wexford, Ireland. The population of the town and environs is 9538. The Placenames Database of Ireland sheds no light on the origins of the town's name. It may refer either to the "Island of Corthaidh" or the "Island of Rocks". With a history going...
  
  
• Fermoy
  Fermoy
  Fermoy is a town in County Cork, Ireland. It is situated on the River Blackwater in the south of Ireland. Its population is some 5,800 inhabitants, environs included ....
  
  
• Kells
  Kells, County Meath
  Kells is a town in County Meath, Ireland. The town lies off the M3 motorway, from Navan and from Dublin. In recent years Kells has grown greatly with many Dublin commuters moving to the town....
  
  
• 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...
  
  
• Kilrush
  Kilrush
  Kilrush is a coastal town in County Clare, Ireland. It is located near the mouth of the River Shannon in the south-west of the county. Kilrush is a town of great historical significance, being one of the listed Heritage Towns of Ireland.-History:...
  
  
• Kinsale
  Kinsale
  Kinsale is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Located some 25 km south of Cork City on the coast near the Old Head of Kinsale, it sits at the mouth of the River Bandon and has a population of 2,257 which increases substantially during the summer months when the tourist season is at its peak and...
  
  
• Letterkenny
  Letterkenny
  Letterkenny , with a population of 17,568, is the largest town in County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in Ireland. The town is located on the River Swilly...
  
  
• Listowel
• Longford
  Longford
  Longford is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It has a population of 7,622 according to the 2006 census. Approximately one third of the county's population resides in the town. Longford town is also the biggest town in the county...
  
  
• Macroom
  Macroom
  Macroom is a market town in Ireland located in a valley on the River Sullane, a tributary of the River Lee, between Cork and Killarney. It is one of the key gateways to the tourist region of West Cork. The town recorded a population on 3,553 in the 2006 national census...
  
  
• Mallow
  Mallow, County Cork
  Mallow is the "Crossroads of Munster" and the administrative capital of north County Cork, in Ireland. The Northern Divisional Offices of Cork County Council are located in the town....
  
  
• Midleton
  Midleton
  Midleton, historically Middleton , is a town in south-eastern County Cork, Ireland. It lies some 22 km east of Cork City on the Owenacurra River and the N25 road, which connects Cork to the port of Rosslare...
  
  
• Monaghan
  Monaghan
  Monaghan is the county town of County Monaghan in Ireland. Its population at the 2006 census stood at 7,811 . The town is located on the main road, the N2 road, from Dublin north to both Derry and Letterkenny.-Toponym:...
  
  
• Mullingar
  Mullingar
  Mullingar is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. The Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act of 1542, proclaimed Westmeath a county, separating it from Meath. Mullingar became the administrative centre for County Westmeath...
  
  
• Naas
  Naas
  Naas is the county town of County Kildare in Ireland. With a population of just over twenty thousand, it is also the largest town in the county. Naas is a major commuter suburb, with many people residing there and working in Dublin...
  
  
• Navan
  Navan
  -People:Navan was the childhood home of Pierce Brosnan, who appeared in the television series Remington Steele and was the fifth film actor to play James Bond. TV personality Hector Ó hEochagáin, and comedians Dylan Moran and Tommy Tiernan also hail from Navan....
  
  
• Nenagh
  Nenagh
  Nenagh is the county town of North Tipperary in Ireland. It is the administrative centre of North Tipperary and in 2011 it had a recorded population of 7,995. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Ormond Lower...
  
  
• New Ross
  New Ross
  New Ross is a town located in southwest County Wexford, in the southeast of Ireland. In 2006 it had a population of 7,709 people, making it the third largest town in the county after Wexford and Enniscorthy.-History:...
  
  
• Skibbereen
  Skibbereen
  Skibbereen , is a town in County Cork, Ireland. It is the most southerly town in Ireland. It is located on the N71 national secondary road.The name "Skibbereen" means "little boat harbour." The River Ilen which runs through the town reaches the sea at Baltimore.-History:Prior to 1600 most of the...
  
  
• Templemore
  Templemore
  Templemore is a town in North Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Eliogarty. It is part of the Roman Catholic parish of Templemore, Clonmore and Killea....
  
  
• Thurles
  Thurles
  Thurles is a town situated in North Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Eliogarty and is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly...
  
  
• Tipperary
  Tipperary
  Tipperary is a town and a civil parish in South Tipperary in Ireland. Its population was 4,415 at the 2006 census. It is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly, and is in the historical barony of Clanwilliam....
  
  
• Tralee
• Trim
  Trim, County Meath
  Trim is the traditional county town of County Meath in Ireland, although the county town is now Navan. The town was recorded in the 2006 census to have a population of 6,870....
  
  
• Tullamore
  Tullamore
  Tullamore is a town in County Offaly, in the midlands of Ireland. It is Offaly's county town and the centre of the district.Tullamore is an important commercial and industrial centre in the region. Major international employers in the town include 'Tyco Healthcare' and 'Boston Scientific'. In...
  
  
• Westport
  Westport, County Mayo
  Westport is a town in County Mayo, Ireland. It is situated on the west coast at the south-east corner of Clew Bay, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean....
  
  
• Wicklow
  Wicklow
  Wicklow) is the county town of County Wicklow in Ireland. Located south of Dublin on the east coast of the island, it has a population of 10,070 according to the 2006 census. The town is situated to the east of the N11 route between Dublin and Wexford. Wicklow is also connected to the rail...
  
  
• Youghal
  Youghal
  Youghal is a town in County Cork, Ireland. Sitting on the estuary of the River Blackwater, in the past it was militarily and economically important. Being built on the edge of a steep riverbank, the town has a distinctive long and narrow layout...
  
  

Former Town Commissioners

• Ardee
  Ardee
  Ardee is a town and townland in County Louth, Ireland. It is located at the intersection of the N2, N52, and N33 roads. Ardee is on the banks of the River Dee and is approximately 20 km from Dundalk, Drogheda, Slane and Carrickmacross...
  
  
• Balbriggan
  Balbriggan
  Balbriggan is a town in the northern part of the administrative county of Fingal, within County Dublin, Ireland. The 2006 census population was 15,559 for Balbriggan and its environs.- Name :...
  
  
• Ballybay
  Ballybay
  Ballybay, County Monaghan is a town in County Monaghan in Ireland, centered on the crossroads of the R183 and R162 regional roads. The name in English means "The Mouth of the Ford of the Birches".- Town layout :...
  
  
• Ballyshannon
  Ballyshannon
  Ballyshannon is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is located where the N3 and N15 cross the River Erne, and claims to be the oldest town in Ireland.-Location:...
  
  
• Bandon
  Bandon, County Cork
  Bandon is a town in County Cork, Ireland. With a population of 5,822 as of census 2006, Bandon lies on the River Bandon between two hills. The name in Irish means "Bridge of the Bandon", a reference to the origin of the town as a crossing-point on the river. In 2004 Bandon celebrated its...
  
  
• Bantry
  Bantry
  Bantry is a town on the coast of County Cork, Ireland. It lies on the N71 national secondary road at the head of Bantry Bay, a deep-water gulf extending for 30 km to the west...
  
  
• Belturbet
  Belturbet
  Belturbet is a town in County Cavan, Ireland. It is from Cavan town from Dublin city. Belturbet lies on the N3 road. It is from the border with Northern Ireland between the counties of Cavan and Fermanagh and is south of Enniskillen.- History :...
  
  
• Boyle
  Boyle, County Roscommon
  Boyle is a town in County Roscommon, Ireland. It is located at the foot of the Curlew Mountains near Lough Key in the north of the county. Carrowkeel Megalithic Cemetery, the Drumanone Dolmen and the popular fishing lakes of Lough Arrow and Lough Gara are also close by...
  
  
• Cootehill
  Cootehill
  Cootehill, known before the Plantation of Ulster as Munnilly , is a prominent market town in County Cavan, Ireland.-History:Cootehill was established as a market town in 1725 when a charter was obtained to hold markets and fairs, and developed strong ties to the Irish linen industry...
  
  
• Droichead Nua
  Newbridge, County Kildare
  The earliest known mention of Newbridge was by traveller and bookseller John Dunton in 1698, though he does not refer to any settlement other than at Ballymany....
  
  
• Edenderry
  Edenderry, County Offaly
  Edenderry is a town in the north of County Offaly, Ireland. It is near the borders with Counties Kildare, Meath and Westmeath. The Grand Canal passes immediately south of the town through the Bog of Allen and there is a short spur to the town centre....
  
  
• Gorey
  Gorey
  Gorey , is a market town in north County Wexford, Ireland, situated beside the main M11 Dublin to Wexford road. The town is also connected to the railway network along the same route. Local newspapers include the Gorey Guardian and Gorey Echo....
  
  
• Granard
  Granard
  Granard is a town in the north of County Longford, Ireland and has a traceable history going back to 236 A.D.. It is situated just south of the boundary between the watersheds of the Shannon and the Erne, at the point where the N55 national secondary road and the R194 regional road...
  
  
• Greystones
  Greystones
  Greystones is a coastal town and small seaside resort in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is located on Ireland’s east coast, south of Bray and south of Dublin , with a population in the region of 15,000....
  
  
• Kilkee
  Kilkee
  Kilkee is a small coastal town in County Clare, Ireland. It is located midway between Kilrush and Doonbeg on the N67 road. The town, one of the most famous resorts in Ireland, is particularly popular as a seaside resort with people from Limerick City...
  
  
• Leixlip
  Leixlip
  -Politics:Since 1988 Leixlip has had a nine member Town Council , headed by a Cathaoirleach , which has control over many local matters, although it is limited in that it is not also a planning authority...
  
  
• Lismore
  Lismore, County Waterford
  Lismore is a town in County Waterford, Ireland. It is located where the N72 road crosses the River Blackwater.-History:It was founded by Saint Mochuda, also known as Saint Carthage. In the 7th century, Lismore was the site of the well-known Lismore Abbey. It is also home to Lismore Castle, the...
  
  
• Loughrea
  Loughrea
  Loughrea is a town in County Galway, Ireland. The town lies north of a range of wooded hills, the Slieve Aughty Mountains.The town expanded in recent years as it increasingly becomes a commuter town for the city of Galway.- Name :...
  
  
• Mountmellick
  Mountmellick
  Other than that its a 15th-century settlement on the narrow Owenass river with an encampment on its banks at Irishtown. Overlooking this valley with its trees and wildlife was a small church called Kilmongan which was closed by the Penal Laws in 1640...
  
  
• Muinebheag
• Mullingar
  Mullingar
  Mullingar is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. The Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act of 1542, proclaimed Westmeath a county, separating it from Meath. Mullingar became the administrative centre for County Westmeath...
  
  
• Passage West
  Passage West
  Passage West is a port town in County Cork, Ireland, situated on the west bank of Cork Harbour. It is some 10 km from Cork city, separated by the green belt from the urban sprawl of Douglas and Rochestown. The town has many services, amenities and social outlets...
  
  
• Portlaoise
• Shannon
  Shannon, County Clare
  Shannon or Shannon Town , named after the river near which it stands, is a town located in County Clare. It was given town status on 1 January 1982. The town is located just off the N19 road, a spur of the N18/M18 road between Limerick city and Ennis....
  
  
• Tramore
• Tuam
  Tuam
  Tuam is a town in County Galway, Ireland. The name is pronounced choo-um . It is situated west of the midlands of Ireland, and north of Galway city.-History:...
  
  

Establishing and dissolving Town Councils

Under Section 185 of the 2001 act, new Town Councils can be established in any town with a population of at least 7,500. The application must be made by at least 100 local government electors, or 10% of the electors of the proposed town, whichever is the greater. After a period of public consultation the application is considered by the County Council for the area in which the town is situated. The County Council’s recommendation is referred to the Local Government Commission. If the Commission approves the establishment of a Town Council, an order signed by the Minister for the Environment and Local Government will formally create the new council.

Under Section 187 of the same act, a Town Council can apply to the Minister to be dissolved.

Elected members

Elections are held to Town Councils every five years. Towns are not subdivided for local elections, being treated as a single constituency. Councillors are elected by the 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...

 system of 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...

. The towns of Bray

Bray

Bray is a town in north County Wicklow, Ireland. It is a busy urban centre and seaside resort, with a population of 31,901 making it the fourth largest in Ireland as of the 2006 census...

, Dundalk

Dundalk

Dundalk is the county town of County Louth in Ireland. It is situated where the Castletown River flows into Dundalk Bay. The town is close to the border with Northern Ireland and equi-distant from Dublin and Belfast. The town's name, which was historically written as Dundalgan, has associations...

 and Tralee have twelve elected members, all other towns have nine. A Town Council with nine members can apply for the number to be increased to twelve if the population is greater than 15,000 at the previous census.

Titles of chairpersons

The chairperson and deputy of a town Council are designated as Cathaoirleach

Cathaoirleach

Cathaoirleach is the title of the chairman of Seanad Éireann, the sixty-member upper house of the Oireachtas, the legislature of Ireland. The current Cathaoirleach is Senator Paddy Burke...

 and Leas-Chathaoirleach respectively. However, Schedule 8 of the Local Government Act 2001 allows alternative titles for the individuals elected to chair Town Councils, namely:

• In the Irish language Méara Bhaile ....... and Leas-Mhéara Bhaile ....... followed by the name of the town in Irish
• In the English language Mayor of the Town of ....... and Deputy Mayor of the Town of ....... followed by the name of the town in English.

External links

• Local Government Act 2001 Text