Clare’s new councillors have been assigned their roles and responsibilities for the upcoming council term.
The positions of Mayor and Deputy Mayor as well as this county’s representatives on the HSE’s Regional Health Forum West and committees such as tourism and rural development were decided at the Annual General Meeting.
Back by popular demand, the 28 Councillors to serve Clare from 2025 to 2029 took their seats in Arás Chontae An Chláir together for the first time.
The first order of businesses was to appoint a new Cathaoirleach, with Kilmurry Fianna Fáil Councillor Alan O’Callaghan receiving the Mayoral chains from Cllr Joe Cooney.
Ennis Fine Gael Councillor Mary Howard was selected as Deputy Mayor, succeeding her party colleague Cllr Gabriel Keating.
Councillor Howard was also one of four elected members appointed as this county’s representatives on the Regional Health Forum West along with Fianna Fáil’s Rita McInerney, Antoinette Baker Bashua and Sinn Féin’s Donna McGettigan.
Maghera Fianna Fáil Councillor Pat Hayes will retain Chairmanship of the Rural Strategic Policy Committee, Whitegate Fine Gael Cllr Pat Burke will chair the Physical SPC and Mayor of Ennis Pat Daly will chair the Economic SPC.
Sixmilebridge Fine Gael Councillor John Crowe will chair the Social SPC which has responsibility for Housing Development.
Ennistymon Cllr Shane Talty will take the reins of the first ever Tourism SPC and has also been appointed to the board of Lahinch Seaworld.
Kilrush Independent Councillor Ian Lynch has been appointed to the board of Kilkee Waterworld and Kilrush Amenity Trust.
Clare County Council has also established a new Road Safety Working Group, Traveller Accommodation Advisory Group and Western Inner Railway Committee.
Appointments to the Ennis 2040 DAC and Cliffs of Moher Board have been deferred.
You can find the full details of Clare elected representatives on committees for 2024 to 2029 below
Clare County Council Memorial Committee
- Cllr Mary Howard – Fine Gael
- Cllr Tony Mulcahy – Fine Gael
- Cllr Clare-Colleran Molloy – Fianna Fáil
- Cllr Shane Talty – Fianna Fáil
- Cllr Donna McGettigan – Sinn Féin
- Cllr Ian Lynch – Independent
Rural Development Forum
- Cllr Gabriel Keating – Fine Gael
- Cllr Joe Garrihy – Fine Gael
- Cllr Rita McInerney – Fianna Fáil
- Cllr Pat Hayes – Fianna Fáil
- Cllr Michael Begley – Independent
- Cllr Dinny Gould – Independent
Governing Body of the National University of Ireland
- Cllr Clare Colleran-Molloy – Fianna Fáil
County Clare Heritage & Biodiversity Forum
- Cllr Gabriel Keating – Fine Gael
- Cllr Clare Colleran-Molloy – Fianna Fáil
- Cllr Dinny Gould – Independent
Active Ennis Sports & Leisure Committee
- Cllr Mary Howard – Fine Gael
- Cllr Tom O’Callaghan – Fianna Fáil
- Cllr Tommy Guilfoyle – Sinn Féin
Audit Committee
- Cllr Pat Burke – Fine Gael
- Cllr Pat Hayes – Fianna Fáil
HSE Regional Health Forum West
- Cllr Mary Howard (Ennis) – Fine Gael
- Cllr Antoinette Baker Bashua (Ennis) – Fianna Fáil
- Cllr Rita McInerney (Doonbeg) – Fianna Fáil
- Cllr Donna McGettigan (Shannon) – Sinn Féin
Kilrush Amenity Trust
- Cllr Ian Lynch – Independent
Board of Management of Kilkee Waterworld
- Cllr Ian Lynch – Independent
Board of Clare Local Development Company
- Cllr Joe Garrihy – Fine Gael
- Cllr Michael Shannon – Fianna Fáil
- Cllr Michael Begley – Independent
Local Community Development Committee
- Cllr Bill Slattery – Fine Gael
- Cllr Joe Killeen – Fianna Fáil
- Cllr Rachel Hartigan – Fianna Fáil
- Cllr Donna McGettigan – Sinn Féin
Western Inter County Railway Committee
- Cllr Gabriel Keating – Fine Gael
- Cllr John Crowe – Fine Gael
- Cllr Pat Hayes – Fianna Fáil
- Cllr Shane Talty – Fianna Fáil
- Cllr Dinny Gould – Independent
Standing Orders Sub-Committee
- Cllr Paul Murphy – Fine Gael
- Cllr Joe Cooney – Fine Gael
- Cllr Clare Colleran-Molloy – Fianna Fáil
- Cllr Shane Talty – Fianna Fáil
- Cllr Ian Lynch – Independent
Lisdoonvarna Fáilte
- Cllr Joe Garrihy – Fine Gael
Board of Glór Irish Music Centre
- Cllr Paul Murphy – Fine Gael
- Cllr Michael Shannon – Fianna Fáil
Clare Sports Partnership
- Cllr Joe Garrihy – Fine Gael
Local Traveller Accommodation Advisory Committee
- Cllr Antoinette Baker Bashua – Fianna Fáil
- Cllr Tony O’Brien – Fianna Fáil
- Cllr John Crowe – Fine Gael
- Cllr Joe Garrihy – Fine Gael
- Cllr Donna McGettigan – Sinn Féin
- Cllr Tommy Guilfoyle – Sinn Féin
Twinning Committee
- Cllr Antoinette Baker Bashua – Fianna Fáil
- Cllr Pat Daly – Fianna Fáil
- Cllr Tony O’Brien – Fianna Fáil
- Cllr John Crowe – Fine Gael
- Cllr Paul Murphy – Fine Gael
- Cllr Michael Begley – Independent
- Cllr Dinny Gould – Independent
- Cathaoirleach of the day
Clare County Council Road Safety Working Group
- Cllr Tony Mulcahy- Fine Gael
- Cllr Tommy Guilfoyle – Sinn Féin
- Cllr Rachel Hartigan – Fianna Fáil
County Rural Water Monitoring Committee
- Cllr Pat Burke – Fine Gael
- Cllr Rita McInerney/Cllr Michael Shannon (50/50) – Fianna Fáil
- Cllr Dinny Gould – Independent
Limerick/Clare Education & Training Board
- Cllr Rachel Hartigan – Fianna Fáil
- Cllr Antoinette Baker Bashua – Fianna Fáil
- Cllr Gabriel Keating – Fine Gael
- Cllr Mary Howard – Fine Gael
- Cllr Michael Begley – Independent
Board of Lahinch Seaworld
- Cllr Shane Talty – Fianna Fáil
Hunt Museum Trust
- Cllr Paul Murphy – Fine Gael
Regional Assembly
- Cllr Tony O’Brien – Fianna Fáil
- Cllr Bill Slattery – Fine Gael
Local Authority Members Association
- Cllr Tony O’Brien – Fianna Fáil
Irish Public Bodies Mutual Insurances LTD
- Cllr David Griffin – Fianna Fáil
