Meath County Council

Meath County Council (Irish: Comhairle Chontae na Mí) is the local authority of County Meath, 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.^[1] The council has 40 elected members. Elections are held every five years and are by single transferable vote. The head of the council has the title of Cathaoirleach (chairperson). The county administration is headed by a chief executive, Kieran Kehoe. The county town is Navan.

Meath County Council Comhairle Chontae na Mí
Type
Type	County council of County Meath
History
Founded	1 April 1899
Leadership
Cathaoirleach	Wayne Harding, FF
Structure
Seats	40
Political groups	Fine Gael (11)   Fianna Fáil (9)   Sinn Féin (6)   Aontú (2)   Social Democrats (1)   Independent (11)
Elections
Last election	7 June 2024
Motto
Tré Neart le Chéile (Irish) "Stronger Together"
Meeting place
County Hall, Navan
Website
Official website

The area governed by the council

History

Meath County Council was established on 1 April 1899 under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 for the administrative county of County Meath, succeeding the judicial county of Meath.^[2][3][4][5]

Meath County Council commissioned a purpose-built headquarters at Railway Street in Navan in the early 20th century.^[6] It then moved to more modern facilities at the new County Hall on the Dublin Road in Navan in 2017.^[7]

Regional Assembly

Meath County Council has three representatives on the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly who are part of the Eastern Strategic Planning Area Committee.^[8][9]

Elections

The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1919 introduced the electoral system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV) for the 1920 Irish local elections.^[10] County Meath was divided into 5 county electoral areas to elect the 21 members of the council.^[11] This electoral system has been retained, with 40 members of Meath County Council now elected for a five-year term of office from 6 multi-member local electoral areas (LEAs).

Year		FG		FF		SF		Aon		Lab		SD		GP		WP		Ind	Total
2024	11		9		6		2		0		1		0		0		11		40
2019	12		12		3		1		1		1		0		0		10		40
2014	13		10		8		—N/a		0		—N/a		0		0		9		40
2009	11		8		1		—N/a		4		—N/a		0		0		5		29
2004	9		12		2		—N/a		0		—N/a		1		0		5		29
1999	11		14		1		—N/a		0		—N/a		0		0		3		29
1991	9		12		0		—N/a		5		—N/a		0		1		3		29
1985	7		17		0		—N/a		3		—N/a		0		0		2		29
1979	9		13		0		—N/a		5		—N/a		0		0		2		29
1974	8		14		0		—N/a		5		—N/a		0		0		2		29

Local electoral areas and municipal districts

County Meath is divided into LEAs, defined by electoral divisions, and into municipal districts which exercise powers of the council locally.^[12][13]

Municipal District and LEA	Definition	Seats
Ashbourne	Ardmulchan, Donaghmore, Kentstown, Kilbrew, Rathfeigh, Skreen, Stamullin, Tara; those parts of the electoral division of Ardcath not contained in the local electoral area of Laytown—Bettystown; and those parts of the electoral division of Ratoath to the east of a line drawn along the M2 motorway	6
Kells	An Ráth Mhór, Ardagh, Baile Átha Buí, Ballinlough, Balrathboyne, Boherboy, Burry, Carrickleck, Castlekeeran, Castletown, Ceanannas Mór Rural (part), Ceanannas Mór Urban, Crossakeel, Crosskeys, Cruicetown, Domhnach Phádraig, Drumcondra, Girley, Grennanstown, Killallon, Killeagh, Kilmainham, Kilskeer, Knocklough, Loughan, Maperath, Martry, Moybolgue, Moylagh, Moynalty, Newcastle, Newtown, Nobber, Oldcastle, Posseckstown, Rathkenny, Staholmog, Stonefield, Tailtin and Trohanny	7
Laytown—Bettystown	Duleek, Grangegeeth, Julianstown, Killary, Mellifont, Painestown, Slane, St. Marys (part), Stackallan; and those parts of the electoral division of Ardcath north of a line drawn as follows: Commencing at the intersection of the boundary between the townlands of Bellewstown and Prioryland with the R152 road and then proceeding in a north-easterly direction along the R152 road to its intersection with the R150 road; then proceeding in an easterly direction along the R150 road to its intersection with the boundary between the electoral divisions of Ardcath and Duleek	7
Navan	Ardbraccan, Bective, Navan Rural and Navan Urban	7
Ratoath	Culmullin, Dunboyne, Dunshaughlin, Killeen, Kilmessan, Kilmore, Rodanstown; and those parts of the electoral division of Ratoath not contained in the local electoral area of Ashbourne	7
Trim	Ardnamullan, Ballyboggan, Ballyconnell, Castlejordan, Castlerickard, Cill Bhríde, Cloghbrack, Clonmacduff, Gallow, Galtrim, Hill of Down, Innfield, Kilcooly, Kildalkey, Killaconnigan, Killyon, Laracor, Rahinstown, Rathmolyon, Summerhill, Trim Rural and Trim Urban	6

Councillors

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

2024 seats summary

Party		Seats
	Fine Gael	11
	Fianna Fáil	9
	Sinn Féin	6
	Aontú	2
	Social Democrats	1
	Independent	11

Councillors by electoral area

This list reflects the order in which councillors were elected on 7 June 2024.^[14]

Council members from 2024 election
LEA	Name	Party
Ashbourne	Joe Bonner		Independent
	Amanda Smith		Independent
	Alan Tobin		Fine Gael
	Suzanna Jamal		Fine Gael
	Conor Tormey		Fianna Fáil
	Helen Meyer		Sinn Féin
Kells	Sarah Reilly		Fine Gael
	Eugene Cassidy		Fine Gael
	Sean Drew		Fianna Fáil
	Mike Bray		Fianna Fáil
	Michael Gallagher		Sinn Féin
	David Gilroy		Independent
	Peter Caffrey		Sinn Féin
Laytown–Bettystown	Sharon Tolan		Fine Gael
	Paddy Meade		Fine Gael
	Geraldine Keogan		Independent
	Stephen McKee		Fianna Fáil
	Wayne Harding		Fianna Fáil
	Maria White		Sinn Féin
	Carol Lennon		Independent
Navan	Eddie Fennessy		Sinn Féin
	Emer Tóibín		Aontú
	Francis Deane		Independent
	Pádraig Fitzsimons		Fianna Fáil
	Linda Nelson Murray[a]		Fine Gael
	Alan Lawes		Independent
	Yemi Adenuga		Fine Gael
Ratoath	Gillian Toole[a]		Independent
	Maria Murphy		Fine Gael
	Brian Fitzgerald		Independent
	Caroline O'Reilly		Fianna Fáil
	Nick Killian		Independent
	Gerry O'Connor		Fine Gael
	Fionnan Blake		Sinn Féin
Trim	Noel French		Independent
	Joe Fox		Fine Gael
	Aisling Dempsey[a]		Fianna Fáil
	Dave Boyne		Aontú
	Padraig Coffey		Fianna Fáil
	Ronan Moore		Social Democrats

Notes

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

Co-options

Party		Outgoing	LEA	Reason	Date	Co-optee
	Independent	Gillian Toole	Ratoath	Elected to 34th Dáil at the 2024 general election	18 December 2024	Yvonne Everand[15]
	Fianna Fáil	Aisling Dempsey	Trim	Elected to 34th Dáil at the 2024 general election	18 December 2024	Paul O'Rourke[16]
	Fine Gael	Linda Nelson Murray	Navan	Elected to 27th Seanad at the 2025 Seanad election	30 January 2025	John Duffy[17]