Louth County Council () is the local authority of County Louth, 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. The council has 29 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 current Cathaoirleach is Kevin Callan. The county administration is headed by a chief executive, David Conway. The county town is Dundalk.
History Louth County Council was established on 1 April 1899 under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 for the administrative county of County Louth, succeeding the judicial county of Louth and the judicial county of the town of Drogheda.
Originally meetings of Louth County Council took place in Dundalk Courthouse. A home for the county officials was subsequently established at County Buildings in Crowe Street and both the county council and its officials moved to County Hall in 2000. Up until then administration services in Dundalk were separated into two different buildings, the former Louth Infirmary at The Crescent and in Crowe Street. This rationalisation streamlined services in one building.
Both the crests of Dundalk and County Louth reference the legend of Táin Bó Cúailnge. Louth traces its name from the Celtic god Lú. According to one interpretation of The Táin, Lú's son is the warrior Cú Chulainn, who it is claimed was born in near Dundalk, hence the fates of Dundalk and Louth are always linked together.
Regional Assembly Louth County Council has two representatives on the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly who are part of the Eastern Strategic Planning Area Committee.
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. This electoral system has been retained. The 29 members of Louth County Council are elected for a five-year term of office from multi-member local electoral areas (LEAs).
Year Total202476621colspan=2 729201977531colspan=2 6292014105722colspan=2 329200965821colspan=2 426200459710042619991147100326199111262023261985111820colspan=2 326
Local electoral areas and municipal districts County Louth is divided into borough and municipal districts and LEAs, defined by electoral divisions. The municipal district which contains the administrative area of the former borough of Drogheda is referred to as a Borough District.
Councillors have regular monthly meetings both as a whole council and within their municipal district. Each municipal district elects its own chair, titled a .
Municipal DistrictLEADefinitionSeatsArdeeArdee Rural, Ardee Urban, Castlebellingham, Clonkeen, Collon, Darver, Dromin, Drumcar, Dunleer, Dysart, Killanny, Louth, Mansfieldstown, Mullary, Stabannan and Tallanstown6Borough District of DroghedaDrogheda RuralClogher, Monasterboice, St. Peter's and Termonfeckin4Drogheda UrbanFair Gate, St Lawrence Gate, St. Mary's (part) and West Gate6DundalkDundalk—CarlingfordBallymascanlan, Carlingford, Drummullagh, Dundalk No. 1 Urban, Dundalk No. 2 Urban, Faughart, Greenore, Jenkinstown, Rathcor, Ravensdale; those parts of the electoral divisions of Castletown, Dundalk Rural, Dundalk No. 3 Urban and Dundalk No. 4 Urban not contained in the local electoral area of Dundalk South6Dundalk SouthBarronstown, Castlering, Creggan Upper, Dromiskin, Haggardstown; those parts of the electoral divisions of Castletown and Dundalk Rural south of the R178 (Carrickmacross Road); and those parts of the electoral divisions of Dundalk No. 3 Urban and Dundalk No. 4 Urban south of a line drawn as follows: Commencing at the boundary between the electoral divisions of Dundalk No. 1 Urban and Dundalk No. 3 Urban at the Carrickmacross Road Bridge and St. Dominick's Place and then proceeding in an easterly direction to the junction of St. Dominick's Place with the roundabout at the Crescent; then proceeding in a clockwise direction around and excluding the said roundabout to its junction with Anne Street; then proceeding in a north-easterly direction along Anne Street to its junction with Park Street; then proceeding in a north easterly direction along Park Street to its junction with Francis Street; then proceeding in a north-easterly direction along Francis Street and Roden Place following the boundary between the electoral divisions of Dundalk No. 1 Urban and Dundalk No. 4 Urban; then proceeding in an easterly direction along Jocelyn Street, Seatown Place and along the road connecting Seatown Place to Barrack Street to reach the junction of said road with the Dundalk Inner Relief Road; then proceeding in a north-westerly projection along the Dundalk Inner Relief Road to its junction with the road at St. Helena; then proceeding along the north-easterly projection of the said road at St. Helena to Dundalk Harbour7
Councillors The following were elected at the 2024 Louth County Council election.
2024 seats summary PartySeats 7 6 6 2 1 7
Councillors by electoral area This list reflects the order in which councillors were elected on 7 June 2024.
Notes
Co-options
Chief executive Each council has a chief executive, previously known as city or county manager, who is the manager of the local authority.
Year Title Name Next position 2024–present Chief Executive David Conway 2014–2024 Chief executive Joan Martin 2013–2014 County Manager Philomena PooleCounty manager for Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council 2012–2013 Acting County Manager Joan Martin 2007–2012 County Manager Conn MurrayCity and County Manager for Limerick Council
Each Chief Executive has a Management Team made up of appointed Directors of Service who head specified Directorates. Under a provision of the Local Government Act the elected members must vote confidence in a new chief executive and also have the power to remove one from office. The Cathaoirleach chairs each monthly meeting as well as meetings of the Corporate Policy Group (CPG) some weeks in advance of the agenda being agreed. Members of the CPG Team include the elected chairpersons of each Strategic Policy Committee (SPC), the Directors of Service and the Meetings Administrator. There are five SPC chairpersons in Louth County Council and Directors of Service serve on each with an agreed workplan. There is also an Audit Committee on which two members are elected to serve together with three appointed members, one of whom will be the independent chairperson. The Audit Committee must always remain independent from the council though publishes minutes and an agreed workplan. The LCDC, made up of four elected members, the Chief Executive of the day, several Directors of Service, several staff members and appointed members from various sectoral interests is similar to a SPC in nature, in actual statute, but does not publish or agree its workplan with the elected members or be scrutinised by the Audit Committee despite having a considerable financial budget.
Cathaoirleach of the council Every year, the local authority elects a chair called the Cathaoirleach (chairperson) for a term of one year and a deputy chair called the Leas-Cathaoirleach from among its members. The members elected for each municipal district elect a Cathaoirleach and a Leas-Chathaoirleach for their grouping. The Cathaoirleach chairs the meetings of the local authority or municipal district. Mayor and Deputy Mayor are titles used in municipal districts which were formerly borough councils. Based on population the Dundalk Municipal District is the largest in the state, comprising 13 elected members, but is not designated as a borough district. Following the 2014 legislation it was an option for Dundalk to be also recognised as a borough district on the equivalent standing as her sister town of Drogheda on the legislation drawn up by then Minister for Local Government John Paul Phelan. Despite requests this was not taken up.
Year Name Party2023–2024Paula Butterly2022–2023Conor Keelan2021–2022Pio Smith2020–2021Dolores Minogue2018–2020Liam Reilly2017–2018Colm Markey2016–2017Paul Bell2015–2016Peter Savage (7th)2014–2015Oliver Tully (2nd)2013–2014Declan Breathnach (2nd)2012–2013Finnan McCoy2011–2012Oliver Tully (1st)2010–2011Peter Savage (6th)2009–2010Jim D'Arcy2008–2009 Declan Breathnach (1st)2007–2008Jimmy Mulroy2006–2007Jim Lennon2005–2006Peter Savage (5th)2004–2005Terry Brennan2003–2004Nicholas McCabe (8th)2002–2003Jacqui McConville2001–2002Tommy Reilly (2nd)2000–2001Nicholas McCabe (7th)1999–2000Peter Savage (4th)1998–1999Miċéal O'Donnell (2nd)1997–1998Martin Bellew1996–1997Tommy Reilly (1st)1995–1996W. Frank Godfrey1994–1995Nicholas McCabe (6th)1993–1994Jim Cousins1992–1993Peter Savage (3rd)1991–1992John McConville (2nd)1990–1991Miċéal O'Donnell (1st)1989–1990Nicholas McCabe (5th)1988–1989Peter Savage (2nd)1986–1988John McConville (1st)1985–1986Peter Savage (1st)1983–1985Nicholas McCabe (4th)1982–1983Patrick Buckley1981–1982Nicholas McCabe (3rd)1980–1981Tommy Elmore1979–1980Nicholas McCabe (2nd)1976–1979Peter J. Moore1975–1976Patrick J. O'Hare (2nd)1974–1975Nicholas McCabe (1st)1973–1974Patrick J. O'Hare (1st)1967–1973Paddy Donegan1960–1967Bernard Rafferty1958–1960William Woods (2nd)1957–1958Laurence Walsh1955–1957William Woods (1st)1925–1955James McGee 1920–1925James Murphy1918–1920Patrick McGee1913–1918William Doran1899–1913Peter Hughes
Population by local electoral area The table below sets out the population of the county broken down by Local Electoral Area, total 2022 population of 139,703. LEA Population (2016) Population (2022)SeatsPopulation per seatDrogheda Rural17,87619,84544,961Drogheda Urban27,65628,53764,756 Dundalk South 30,20738,19575,457Dundalk Carlingford25,59926,09264,349Ardee29,02627,03464,506
The table below sets out the electorate population of the county broken down by Local Electoral Area. LEA Electorate (2022)SeatsElectorate per seatDrogheda Rural14,13343,533Drogheda Urban19,72963,288Dundalk South 25,69173,670Dundalk Carlingford20,03963,339Ardee19,92863,321
Population by municipal district The table below sets out the population of the county broken down by Municipal District, total 2022 population of 139,703.
District Population (2011) Population (2016) Population (2022)SeatsPopulation per seat Dundalk 53,082 55,80664,287134,945Drogheda41,92544,05248,382104,838Ardee27,89029,02627,03464,506
Population by electoral division The table below sets out the population of the county broken down by electoral division.