John Moran has made history by becoming the first Mayor in Ireland to be directly elected by the public.
The Limerick man ran as an independent candidate and was elected Mayor of Limerick after two days of counting at Limerick Racecourse in Patrickswell.
Mr Moran topped the poll with 28,451 votes after 12 counts. He was elected without reaching the quota of 39,873. The total valid poll was 79,745.
Surrounded by family and supporters the incoming Mayor of Limerick said he was “blown away” by the support he received across the county.
He thanked the electorate for trusting in his vision for Limerick, saying:
“It was amazing to see that this was a campaign where we picked up votes right across the county. People had their different views but pretty much, I think, the vision that we all had for Limerick was the same. Now it’s just a case of implementing that vision.”
John Moran had advocated for the introduction of a directly elected mayor when it was put before the electorates in Limerick, Waterford and Cork in 2019.
Only the people of Limerick voted in favour of the plebiscite. The proposal was approved with 52.4% voting ‘Yes’.
The decision marked a historic change in the governance of Limerick, allowing for a mayor with executive powers to be elected, which is unique in Ireland.
The incoming Mayor of Limerick says the journey continues:
“They came out in numbers to vote for this role five years ago and they came out again. This was the closest you’ll ever get in an Irish election to a job interview and I think the electorate took the time to understand the policies that the candidates had and what their credentials were.
“I think it’s going to be an amazing journey for everyone in Limerick and I am so happy that you guys have chosen me and trusted me to do this. Thank you very much,” he added.
Vesting Day for the Mayor of Limerick is this Friday, 14th June.
Chief Executive of Limerick City and County Council, Dr Pat Daly says the new Mayor will have the full support of the Council:
“Congratulations to John Moran on his successful campaign. We are all looking forward to working with the new Mayor of Limerick to continue the growth of our city and county. He will have full support from the staff and management at Limerick City and County Council and we’ll continue to build on the great work we have done already in collaboration with the elected members. As a local authority, we have been embracing change for the last ten years since the city and county councils amalgamated and that has led to incredible success. We anticipate even more investment and growth for Limerick in the years to come.”
Late on Sunday night the counting of local election ballots in Limerick’s six electoral areas was completed.
Among the 40 councillors elected are ten newcomers. The new council will also have 12 female elected representatives, the highest ever on the Council.
Find out more about the local elections on Limerick.ie/Count.
Read more about Mayor of Limerick position on Limerick.ie.