An Cathaoirleach

Office of An Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council

An Cathaoirleach is the First Citizen of the County, taking precedence over all others, except the President, when attending events or functions within the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown area.

An Cathaoirleach is elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) every June and serves for a one year term. The responsibilities of An Cathaoirleach include the following:

• Chairing of Council Meetings
• Representing the Council at local, national and international events
• Bestowing Civic Honours on groups and citizens within the County
• The awarding of Cathaoirleach’s Awards to groups and citizens from within the County
• An Leas-Cathaoirleach is also elected at the Council AGM every June. They deputise for An Cathaoirleach in the event that they are unable to attend a meeting or event.

Current Office Holder

Councillor Jim O’Leary was elected Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council at the Council’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 21 June, 80 years after his own grandfather, James Reidy TD, was elected Lord Mayor of Limerick. Councillor O’Leary was first elected to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council in 2004, representing the Dundrum ward, and was subsequently re-elected in 2009. In 2010 he stepped away from politics for nearly a decade to concentrate on his career, but following his retirement was again elected to the Council in 2019 and re-elected on the first count in the Local Elections in 2024. Councillor O’Leary is a retired Bank Executive with a 30 year career in AIB, where he held various roles in Treasury and Financial Risk Management.

Councillor O’Leary outlined his main priorities for 2024 to 2025, which include guiding the work of the next Corporate Plan, progressing housing delivery, continuing the work on the Friendship Agreement with Palo Alto, California, and overseeing projects such as the Ballinteer Community Centre and actions outlined in the Dundrum Local Area Plan.

Councillor O’Leary also highlighted the importance of the Friendship Agreement with the City of Palo Alto which will support new relationships between UCD and Standford University, between Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown's global business sector and Silicon Valley, and enhance our reputation as a destination for high quality investment.

At the Council AGM, Councillor Kazi Ahmed was elected as Leas Chathaoirleach. Councillor Ahmed (FG) was elected in the Glencullen-Sandyford Local Electoral Area in 2019 as first time Councillor. He is an alumnus of five universities in Ireland – TCD, UCD, GCD, DCU and TU and has worked across the corporate, charity and public sectors. Councillor Ahmed became an Irish Citizen in 2012 and has lived in Ireland for more than 22 years.

Chain of Office

During their term, An Cathaoirleach wears the official Chain of Office when representing Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. The chain was created in 1994 and is multiple links of 9ct gold bound to a 9ct gold pendant crest of Dún Laoghaire. The chain has multiple symbols which represent the following:

Shamrock: This is from the seal of Rathdown no. 1 Rural District Council (harks back to the old Barony of Rathdown).

Viking ship: The ship represents the Viking associations of this coastal and maritime area, which later came to also represent trade.

The Irish crown: Pre-independence versions of the crest had a crown representing British imperial connections with the name Kingstown. This was later changed to a more jagged type of crown to reference those thought to be worn by Irish kings such as King Laoghaire.

Oak branch with acorns: This represents the ancient wooded nature of the entire county and the aspiration for conservation of the natural environment.

Mountain / hill (the triangle): This represents the hills and part of the Dublin mountains to the south and south-west of the county.

The Sea: The sea represents the maritime tradition of the County and its importance for trade and recreation. It also represents the common coastline of the two former administrative areas unified by the Council.