Cork City Council (Irish: Comhairle Cathrach Chorcaí) is the local authority of the city of Cork in Ireland. As a city council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. Before 1 January 2002, the council was known as Cork Corporation. The council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning and development, amenity and culture, environment and the management of some emergency services (including Cork City Fire Brigade). The council has 31 elected members. Elections are held every five years and are by single transferable vote. The head of the council is elected on an annual basis and has the honorific title of Lord Mayor. The city administration is headed by a chief executive, Valerie O'Sullivan. The council meets at City Hall, Cork.
Cork City Council Comhairle Cathrach Chorcaí | |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Type | City council |
| Leadership | |
Lord Mayor | Fergal Dennehy, FF |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 31 |
Political groups |
|
| Elections | |
Voting system | Single transferable vote |
Last election | 7 June 2024 |
| Motto | |
| Latin: Statio Bene Fida Carinis "A safe harbour for ships" | |
| Meeting place | |
| City Hall, Cork | |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
Boundary changes
The area under the administration of Cork City Council was expanded in 1840, in 1955 and in 1965.
The area was extended from 31 May 2019, taking in territory under the administration of Cork County Council. This implemented changes under the Local Government Act 2019.
The 2015 Cork Local Government Review recommended merging Cork City Council and Cork County Council into a single "super council", within which a metropolitan district council will govern the Metropolitan Cork area; however, a minority report opposed the merger. This was subsequently followed in 2017 by a report published by an expert advisory group recommending a city boundary extension. The city boundary was to be extended to include Little Island, Cork Airport, Ballincollig, Blarney, and Carrigtwohill, adding a population of over 100,000, however the final extension will not include either Little Island or Carrigtwohill. Places farther out will remain part of the county, including Cobh, Carrigaline, and Midleton, as well as Ringaskiddy, the centre of the Port of Cork. The report gives parameters for compensation to be paid by the city to the county for the consequent reduction in its revenue. The revised proposal was welcomed by Micheál Martin but criticised by some county councillors. The city council voted unanimously to accept it. Barry Roche of The Irish Times wrote that the Mackinnon Report "has proven almost as divisive as its predecessor", except with the city and county councils' positions reversed. On 6 June 2018 Cabinet approval was given for the boundary extension, to include the surrounding areas of Cork Airport, Douglas and others.
Regional Assembly
Cork City Council has two representatives on the Southern Regional Assembly who are part of the South-West Strategic Planning Area Committee.
Elections
Members of Cork City Council are elected for a five-year term of office on the electoral system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV) from multi-member local electoral areas (LEAs).
Local Electoral Areas
Cork is divided into five LEAs, defined by electoral divisions and wards.
| LEA | Definition | Seats |
|---|---|---|
| Cork City North-East | The electoral divisions of Blackpool A, Blackpool B, Mayfield, Montenotte A, Montenotte B, St. Patrick's A, St. Patrick's B, St. Patrick's C, The Glen A, The Glen B, Tivoli A and Tivoli B as described in the County Borough of Cork (Wards) Regulations 1970 and therein referred to as a ward; in the electoral division of St. Mary's (part); the townlands of Ballincolly, Ballincrokig and Kilbarry; and that part of the townland of Ballyvolane that is contained within the electoral division of St. Mary's (part); and those parts of the electoral divisions of Caherlag, Rathcooney (Part) and Riverstown that are contained within the City of Cork. | 6 |
| Cork City North-West | The electoral divisions of Churchfield, Commons, Fair Hill A, Fair Hill B, Fair Hill C, Farranferris A, Farranferris B, Farranferris C, Gurranebraher A, Gurranebraher B, Gurranebraher C, Gurranebraher D, Gurranebraher E, Knocknaheeny, Shanakiel, Shandon A, Shandon B, Sundays Well A and Sundays Well B as described in the County Borough of Cork (Wards) Regulations 1970 and therein referred to as a ward; in the electoral division of St. Mary's (part); the townlands of Ballycannon, Ballygrohan, Ballysheedy, Clogheen, Coolymurraghue, Killard, Killeens, Knocknacullen East, Knocknagorty, Mount Desert; and those parts of the townlands of Commons, Garranabraher and Knocknacullen West that are contained within the electoral division of St. Mary's (part); and those parts of the electoral divisions of Blarney, Carrigrohanebeg, Matehy and Whitechurch that are contained within the City of Cork. | 6 |
| Cork City South-Central | The electoral divisions of Ballyphehane A, Ballyphehane B, Centre A, Centre B, City Hall A, Evergreen, Gillabbey A, Gillabbey B, Gillabbey C, Greenmount, Mardyke, Pouladuff A, Pouladuff B, South Gate A, South Gate B, The Lough, Togher B, Tramore A, Tramore B, Tramore C, Turners Cross A, Turners Cross B, Turners Cross C and Turners Cross D as described in the County Borough of Cork (Wards) Regulations 1970 and therein referred to as a ward; in the electoral division of Lehenagh; the townlands of Ballycurreen, Curraghconway, Grange and Inchisarsfield; and in the electoral division of Douglas; the townlands of Ballinvuskig, Rathmacullig East and Rathmacullig West. | 6 |
| Cork City South-East | The electoral divisions of Ballinlough A, Ballinlough B, Ballinlough C, Browningstown, City Hall B, Knockrea A, Knockrea B, Mahon A, Mahon B, and Mahon C as set out in the County Borough of Cork (Wards) Regulations 1970 and therein referred to as a ward; in the electoral division of Douglas; the townlands of Ardarrig, Ballinimlagh Ballybrack, Castletreasure, Douglas, Grange, Hop Island, Knocknamullagh, Maryborough, Moneygurney, Monfieldstown, Mounthovel, Oldcourt, Rochestown; and that part of the townland of Ballyorban that is contained within the City of Cork; and those parts of the electoral divisions of Carrigaline (in the former rural district of Cork) and Monkstown Rural that are contained within the City of Cork. | 6 |
| Cork City South-West | The electoral divisions of Bishopstown A, Bishopstown B, Bishopstown C, Bishopstown D, Bishopstown E, Glasheen A, Glasheen B, Glasheen C and Togher A as described in the County Borough of Cork (Wards) Regulations 1970 and therein referred to as a ward; those parts of the townlands of Ballinaspig More and Inchigaggin that are contained within the electoral division of Bishopstown (part); in the electoral division of Lehenagh; the townlands of Ballyduhig North, Gortagoulane, Lehenagh Beg and Lehenagh More; and those parts of the electoral divisions of Ballincollig, Ballygarvan, Inishkenny and Ovens that are contained within the City of Cork. | 7 |
Councillors
The following were elected at the 2024 Cork City Council election.
2024 seats summary
| Party | Seats | |
|---|---|---|
| Fianna Fáil | 9 | |
| Fine Gael | 5 | |
| Sinn Féin | 4 | |
| Green | 3 | |
| Labour | 3 | |
| Independent Ireland | 1 | |
| PBP–Solidarity | 1 | |
| Social Democrats | 1 | |
| Independent | 4 | |
Councillors by electoral area
This list reflects the order in which councillors were elected on 7 June 2024.
| Council members from 2024 election | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Local electoral area | Name | Party | |
| Cork City North East | Ken O'Flynn | Independent Ireland | |
| John Maher | Labour | ||
| Margaret McDonnell | Fianna Fáil | ||
| Joe Kavanagh | Fine Gael | ||
| Ted Tynan | Independent | ||
| Oliver Moran | Green | ||
| Cork City North West | Tony Fitzgerald | Fianna Fáil | |
| Damian Boylan | Fine Gael | ||
| John Sheehan | Fianna Fáil | ||
| Kenneth Collins | Sinn Féin | ||
| Michelle Gould | Sinn Féin | ||
| Brian McCarthy | PBP–Solidarity | ||
| Cork City South Central | Shane O'Callaghan | Fine Gael | |
| Seán Martin | Fianna Fáil | ||
| Pádraig Rice | Social Democrats | ||
| Dan Boyle | Green | ||
| Paudie Dineen | Independent | ||
| Fiona Kerins | Sinn Féin | ||
| Cork City South East | Terry Shannon | Fianna Fáil | |
| Kieran McCarthy | Independent | ||
| Mary Rose Desmond | Fianna Fáil | ||
| Des Cahill | Fine Gael | ||
| Peter Horgan | Labour | ||
| Honore Kamegni | Green | ||
| Cork City South West | Fergal Dennehy | Fianna Fáil | |
| Colm Kelleher | Fianna Fáil | ||
| Garret Kelleher | Fine Gael | ||
| Joe Lynch | Sinn Féin | ||
| Laura Harmon | Labour | ||
| Terry Coleman | Fianna Fáil | ||
| Albert Deasy | Independent | ||
- Notes
- Replaced during term, see table below for details.
Co-options
| Party | Outgoing | LEA | Reason | Date | Co-optee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent Ireland | Ken O'Flynn | Cork City North East | Elected to 34th Dáil at the 2024 general election | 17 December 2024 | Noel O'Flynn | |
| Social Democrats | Pádraig Rice | Cork City South Central | Elected to 34th Dáil at the 2024 general election | 17 December 2024 | Niamh O'Connor | |
| Labour | Laura Harmon | Cork City South West | Elected to 27th Seanad at the 2025 Seanad election | 10 March 2025 | Ciara O'Connor | |
| Fine Gael | Garret Kelleher | Cork City South West | Elected to 27th Seanad at the 2025 Seanad election | 10 March 2025 | Gary O'Brien | |
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