Fine Gael councillor Emma Blain has been elected as the 357th Lord Mayor of Dublin, replacing her party colleague James Geoghegan following his election to the Dáil.
Ms Blain on Wednesday became the 12th woman to hold the position after receiving the backing of Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, Green Party and Labour councillors. She received 34 votes while Daniel Ennis of the Social Democrats received 19, with three abstentions.
A Fine Gael councillor on Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council for eight years, Ms Blain, who grew up in Rathmines, was elected to Dublin City Council in June in the Pembroke local electoral area. She ran in the general election in Dublin Bay South last month alongside Mr Geoghegan, but was eliminated after the eighth count.
After graduating with an MA in politics from UCD, she worked as a journalist with the Sunday Independent and is currently the editor of the Church of Ireland Gazette.
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Ms Blain said the “greatest honour” any Dubliner can have is to be elected the city’s first citizen.
“Dublin is a wonderful city but in the last year or so, we have had to take a long hard look at ourselves. However, in doing so, we must not lose sight of the essence of what makes this city so special,” she said.
Ms Blain said the challenges facing the city must continue to be addressed but she wants “us to rediscover and be reminded of what is so special about this city, to make 2025 the year in which we learn to love and be proud of our great city again, that is my pledge to Dublin”.
Seven new councillors were co-opted on to the council to replace members who were elected to the Dáil last month.
David Coffey and Clodagh Ní Mhuirí were co-opted by Fine Gael to replace Mr Geoghegan and Naoise Ó Muirí. Aoibheann Mahon was co-opted to replace Fianna Fáil TD Tom Brabazon.
Ciaran Ó Meachair was co-opted to replace Sinn Féin TD Máire Devine, Lesley Byrne was co-opted to replace Social Democrats TD Jen Cummins and Kevin Breen was selected to replace Barry Heneghan, now an Independent TD.
Tara Deacy was co-opted as a Social Democrats councillor to replace Eoin Hayes, who was suspended from the party before the Dáil had even sat after admitting he divested shares in Palantir, a company with links to the Israel Defense Forces, a month after being elected to Dublin City Council in June.
Ms Deacy’s co-option is temporary, she said, as another party member who was selected had a “change of heart”. A selection convention to fill the seat will be held in the new year.
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