John Moran is the [829th] Mayor of Limerick but its first ever directly elected Mayor, indeed Ireland’s first ever. taking office in June 2024.
Education
A proud Limerick native, John attended St. Paul’s National School, Dooradoyle and CBS, Sexton Street before earning a Law Degree from University College Dublin and a Master’s from the Wharton School and University of Pennsylvania Law Schools. He has also studied Financial Maths at Dublin City University, French at La Sorbonne, Paris, Cooking at the Cordon Bleu, Paris and History of Art and Architecture at UL He is both an Irish solicitor and a member of the Bar of New York, an associate of the Irish Institute of Taxation and a Fellow of the Irish Bankers Institute.
Private Sector Work
John began his career as a lawyer at Sullivan & Cromwell on Wall Street. Since then, he has worked with Guinness Peat Aviation in Shannon, McCann FitzGerald in New York, Zurich Bank/Zurich Capital Markets in Dublin, Sydney, London and New York and has been a director of or advised clients such as Uber, Grid Finance, Takumi, Nomura, Mannok, Warburg Pincus, SME Recovery Ireland, Meridiam and The Urban Resilience Fund (TURF).
Public Sector Work
In 2010, John returned to Ireland during Ireland’s critical economic crisis. Working first at the Central Bank, later as Secretary General in Michael Noonan's Department of Finance, John was instrumental in managing troika bailout negotiations and addressing significant challenges such as mass unemployment and banking system collapse. He went on to serve as a Director of the European Investment Bank, Chair of the Land Development Agency and Director of Shannon Airport Group.
Vision
John’s vision for Limerick is clear: he envisions an inclusive city-region that thrives sustainably in a rapidly changing world. He is dedicated to making Limerick a more liveable, prosperous, and healthy place for all its residents. His commitment to community is reflected in his work as Mayor and personal projects such as the garden at the Hunt Museum and sponsoring a Community Garden there in honour of his father.
John's deep-rooted pride in Limerick and interest in spatial planning drives his advocacy for transformative change, aiming to harness Limerick’s potential and create a vibrant future for all its citizens.
Other Interests
Outside of his professional life, John and his partner Damien, enjoy travelling, cooking, gardening, meeting friends, doing up old buildings and are proud owners of Limerick’s First Dog, Henri (aka An Ri). John is also a fluent French speaker and has been knighted by the French President.
For more information please visit johnmoran.ie