Cllr John O’Hara elected Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council

BONNICONLON-based councillor John O’Hara has been elected as the new Cathaoirelach of Mayo County Council. 

The Fine Gael councillor took the chain of office Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael county councillors entered a historic coalition agreement for the new council term. 

Cllr O’Hara was proposed by Fianna Fáil whip Cllr Damien Ryan and Fine Gael's Jarlath Munnelly. Fianna Fáil’s Cllr Brendan Mulroy was elected as Leas-Cathaoirleach. 

Speaking to The Mayo News following his election, Cllr O’Hara said he would like to see more affordable houses in the Ballina Local Electoral Area.

Cllr O’Hara also said he would like to see progress on an orbital route for Ballina town, the re-development of the N26 road and the lifting of income thresholds for social housing.

When asked about the agreement between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, Cllr O'Hara said he said he couldn’t see why the agreement would not work.

Cllr Blackie Gavin was the only Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael councillor not to support the agreement between the two parties when the new council sat for the first time in Áras An Chonate in Castlebar this afternoon (Friday, June 21). 

“We have to work on our own house, and we have to get over differnet things we think about,” Cllr O’Hara told The Mayo News. “We have to work on our communities. The best of people is in our communities and they work together, so I don’t see why this shouldn’t work today. Everybody has to get on, if you’re not a team player you're not going to do anything.”

Councillors from across party lines paid tribute to Cllr O’Hara’s work in his local community, particularly in promoting the nationally renowned Bonniconlon show. 

An ESB worker by profession, Cllr O’Hara’s family and supporters were present when he was presented with the chain of office by Mayo County Council’s Director of Services for Planning, Catherine McConnell. Ms McConnell presented the chain in the absence of outgoing Fianna Fáil Cathaoirleach Cllr Michael Loftus, who could not be present but attended online.

Cllr Loftus echoed his colleagues’ sentiments in extending his well wishes to Cllr O’Hara. 

Proposing him for Cathaoirleach, Cllr Jarlath Munnelly described his Fine Gael colleague as a ‘hard-working public representative’ who was ‘steeped in community’.

Cllr O'Hara has topped the poll at the last two elections, winning over 2,000 first preference on each occasion.

He was first co-opted onto Mayo County Council in 2011 and has been re-elected three times since.