McCambley wins Fingal vote and promises to work for everybody

LABOUR Councillor Mary McCamley is the new Mayor of Fingal after being elected at the recent annual meeting of Fingal County Council held in the Council Chamber at County Hall, Swords.

Cllr McCamley, who is based in Mulhuddart, has been a member of Fingal County Council since 2012. Originally from Finglas, she worked for many years as the Patient Services Officer in Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown.

The new mayor was proposed and seconded by Labour Party colleagues Cllr Ken Farrell and Cllr Brian McDonagh, and received 24 votes.

Councillor Malachy Quinn, who was proposed and seconded by fellow Sinn Fein councillors Cllr Daire Ní Laoi and Cllr Edmund Lukusa received seven votes while Solidarity’s Cllr Matthew Waine received five votes after being proposed and seconded by party colleagues Cllr Eugene Coppinger and Cllr Sandra Kavangh.

In her acceptance speech, which she delivered in Irish and English, the new Mayor said she wanted to use her year in office to highlight the work of volunteers across Fingal and promised to work for everybody in the area.

“Being Mayor of Fingal is a huge privilege and I don’t take the responsibility lightly,” said Cllr McCambley.

Cllr Adrian Henchy of Fianna Fáil was elected as Deputy Mayor.

Cllr Henchy, who was proposed and seconded by party colleagues Cllr Darragh Bulter and Cllr Eoghan O’Brien received 23 votes.

Cllr Natalie Treacy of Sinn Fein, who was proposed by party colleagues Cllr Philip Lynam and Cllr Daire Ní Laoi, and Cllr Sandra Kavangh of Solidarity, who was proposed by party colleagues Cllr Matthew Waine and Cllr Eugene Coppinger, each received six votes. There was one abstention.

Cllr Henchy, who is based in Donabate, is originally from Portrane and works with the Department of Old Age Psychiatry in the Mater Hospital

Tributes were paid to the outgoing Mayor, Cllr Darragh Butler, and Deputy Mayor, Cllr Eithne Loftus. Fingal County Council Chief Executive Paul Reid presented Cllr Butler with a Commemorative Medal and a Photograph Album recording his year in office.  

Cllr Butler thanked Cllr Loftus for her support as Deputy Mayor during the year and also his fellow councillors and the Chief Executive and staff of the Council for all the assistance they had given him.