Councillor Joe Carroll Elected Mayor of the County of Cork

Three people standing in front of the Ireland and Cork flags

Councillor Joe Carroll has been elected as the new Mayor of the County of Cork. He was nominated by Councillor Seamus McGrath and seconded by Councillor Alan Coleman. 

The Fianna Fail member was first elected to Cork County Council in June 2004 representing the Skibbereen - West Cork local electoral area and began his career in politics in 1999 when he was elected to Skibbereen Town Council. 

Mayor Carroll was born and raised in Dunmanway and has lived in Skibbereen for most of his life with his wife Sheila and their family. He previously worked as a bus driver with CIE and as a publican. 

In taking up the position, Mayor Carroll thanked his family and expressed his pride in assuming the role of Mayor at the start of the new five-year Council term. 

 

I look forward to using my time as Mayor to support communities and businesses across the County of Cork. My key priority is ensuring that Cork County Council is adequately funded by Central Government. I want to ensure that we can provide the services that matter most to the people of this incredible county like our local roads that have been devastated by extreme rainfall as well as supporting the growth of our towns and our villages.  Another area that I am passionate about is listening to the young people of County Cork. We need to partner with other sectors to keep our young people here, supporting them to create a future of their choosing and giving them every opportunity to live and work in County Cork. 

Mayor Carroll is a strong supporter of tourism across the county. He added, 

 

As a member of the Tourism SPC and a West Cork native I see the positive impact tourism has on County Cork. It is incredible to see cruise liners now calling to our wonderful harbours and coastal locations. I would like to see this expanded to even more places so that we can share our beautiful county with more people from across the globe and encourage them to return again and again. I am also acutely aware of how difficult it is for the hospitality sector having been born in a pub and running one myself for many years. I am hugely supportive of their campaign to have the 9% VAT rate reinstated and will do everything I can to help them in this endeavor. 

 

Mayor Carroll has represented Cork County Council as a member of the Southern Regional Assembly since its establishment in 2014 and served as Cathaoirleach of the Southern Regional Assembly in 2019 when he worked on the adoption of the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy for the Southern Region.

Councillor Martin Coughlan, an Independent for the Macroom Local Electoral area, has been elected as the Deputy Mayor of the County of Cork.