Clare County Council

Clare County Council (Irish: Comhairle Contae an Chláir) is the local authority of County Clare, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning and development, amenity and culture, and environment. The council has 28 elected members who are elected for a five-year term. The head of the council has the title of Cathaoirleach (chairperson). The county administration is headed by a chief executive, Pat Dowling. The county town is Ennis.

Clare County Council Comhairle Contae an Chláir
Type
Type	County council
Leadership
Cathaoirleach	Paul Murphy, FG
Structure
Seats	28
Political groups	Fianna Fáil (14)   Fine Gael (9)   Sinn Féin (2)   Independent (3)
Elections
Last election	7 June 2024
Motto
Dílis d'ar nOidreacht (Irish) "True to our Heritage"
Meeting place
Áras Contae an Chláir, Ennis
Website
Official website

The area governed by the council

History

Clare County Council was established on 1 April 1899 under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 for the administrative county of County Clare, succeeding in area of the former judicial county of Clare, with the addition of the district electoral divisions of Drummaan, Inishcaltra North, and Mountshannon, formerly within the judicial county of County Galway.^[1][2][3]

Originally meetings of Clare County Council were held at Ennis Courthouse.^[4] Áras Contae an Chláir, a new county council headquarters, was completed in May 2008.^[5]

Regional Assembly

Clare County Council has two representatives on the Southern Regional Assembly who are part of the Mid-West Strategic Planning Area Committee.^[6][7]

Elections

Members of Clare County 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.

Year		FF		FG		SF		GP		Lab		PDs		Ind	Total
2024	14		9		2		0		0		—		3		28
2019	13		8		1		1		0		—		5		28
2014	12		8		1		0		0		—		7		28
2009	11		12		0		1		1		—		7		32
2004	15		10		0		1		1		0		5		32
1999	18		9		0		0		0		1		4		32
1991	17		8		0		0		1		1		5		32
1985	17		8		0		0		2		—		5		32
1979	17		9		1		—		2		—		2		31

Local electoral areas and municipal districts

County Clare is divided into the following local electoral areas and municipal districts, defined by electoral divisions.^[8]

Municipal District	LEA	Definition	Seats
Ennis		Clareabbey, Doora, Ennis No. 1 Urban, Ennis No. 2 Urban, Ennis No. 3 Urban, Ennis No. 4 Urban, Ennis Rural, Kilnamona, Kilraghtis, Spancelhill and Templemaley	7
Killaloe		Ayle, Ballyblood, Ballynahinch, Boherglass, Caher, Caherhurly, Cahermurphy (in the former Rural District of Scarriff), Cappaghabaun, Carrowbaun, Castlecrine, Cloghera, Clooney (in the former Rural District of Tulla), Cloontra, Cloonusker, Coolreagh, Corlea, Crusheen, Dangan, Derrynagittagh, Drummaan, Fahymore, Feakle, Glendree, Inishcaltra North, Inishcaltra South, Kilkishen, Killaloe, Killanena, Killokennedy, Killuran, Kilseily, Kiltannon, Kyle, Lackareagh, Loughea, Mountshannon, Newgrove, OBriensbridge, Ogonnelloe, Quin, Rathclooney, Rossroe, Scarriff, Toberbreeda, Tomfinlough and Tulla	5
Shannon		Ballycannan, Ballyglass, Cappavilla, Clenagh, Cratloe, Drumline, Killeely, Kiltenanlea, Mountievers, Newmarket, Sixmilebridge and Urlan	7
West Clare	Ennistymon	Abbey, Ballagh, Ballyea, Ballyeighter, Ballysteen, Ballyvaskin, Boston, Carran, Castletown, Cloghaun, Cloonanaha, Clooney (in the former Rural District of Ennistimon), Corrofin, Derreen, Drumcreehy, Dysert, Ennistimon, Gleninagh, Glenroe, Kilfenora, Killaspuglonane, Killilagh, Killinaboy, Kilshanny, Kiltoraght, Liscannor, Lisdoonvarna, Lurraga, Magherareagh, Milltown Malbay, Mount Elva, Moy, Muckanagh, Noughaval, Oughtmama, Rath, Rathborney, Ruan and Smithstown	4
	Kilrush	Annagh, Ballynacally, Cahermurphy (in the former Rural District of Kilrush), Clondagad, Cloonadrum, Clooncoorha, Coolmeen, Cooraclare, Creegh, Doonbeg, Drumellihy, Einagh, Formoyle, Furroor, Glenmore, Kilballyowen, Kilchreest, Kilcloher, Kilfearagh, Kilfiddane, Kilkee, Killadysert, Killanniv, Killard, Killimer, Killofin, Killone, Kilmihil, Kilmurry (in the former Rural District of Killadysert), Kilmurry (in the former Rural District of Kilrush), Kilrush Rural, Kilrush Urban, Kinturk, Knock, Knocknaboley, Knocknagore, Liscasey, Lisheen, Moveen, Moyarta, Mullagh, Querrin, Rahona, Rinealon, St. Martins, Tullig and Tullycreen	5

Current councillors

The following were elected at the 2024 Clare County Council election.

Party		Seats
	Fianna Fáil	14
	Fine Gael	9
	Sinn Féin	2
	Independent	3

Councillors by electoral area

This list reflects the order in which councillors were elected on 7 June 2024.^[9]

Council members from 2024 election
Local electoral area	Name	Party
Ennis	Pat Daly		Fianna Fáil
	Mary Howard		Fine Gael
	Paul Murphy		Fine Gael
	Clare Colleran Molloy		Fianna Fáil
	Tommy Guilfoyle		Sinn Féin
	Antoinette Baker Bashua		Fianna Fáil
	Tom O'Callaghan		Fianna Fáil
Ennistymon	Bill Slattery		Fine Gael
	Joe Garrihy		Fine Gael
	Shane Talty		Fianna Fáil
	Joe Killeen		Fianna Fáil
Killaloe	Joe Cooney[a]		Fine Gael
	Pat Hayes		Fianna Fáil
	Alan O'Callaghan		Fianna Fáil
	Tony O'Brien		Fianna Fáil
	Pat Burke		Fine Gael
Kilrush	Dinny Gould		Independent
	Rita McInerney		Fianna Fáil
	Ian Lynch		Independent
	Michael Shannon		Fianna Fáil
	Gabriel Keating		Fine Gael
Shannon	David Griffin		Fianna Fáil
	Donna McGettigan[a]		Sinn Féin
	John Crowe		Fine Gael
	Rachel Hartigan		Fianna Fáil
	Pat O'Gorman		Fianna Fáil
	Tony Mulcahy		Fine Gael
	Michael Begley		Independent

Notes

1. Replaced during term, see table below for details.

Co-options

Party		Outgoing	LEA	Reason	Date	Co-optee
	Sinn Féin	Donna McGettigan	Shannon	Elected to 34th Dáil at the 2024 general election	10 December 2024	James Ryan[10]
	Fine Gael	Joe Cooney	Killaloe	Elected to 34th Dáil at the 2024 general election	19 December 2024	Conor Ryan[11]