New Northside councillors for 2025

With a swathe of Northsiders making the move from Dublin City Council and Fingal County Council to the Dáil, it has left the small matter of co-options on local authorities.

Labour’s Robert O’Dongohue, Sinn Féin’s Ann Graves, Fianna Fáil’s Tom Brabazon, Fine Gael’s Naoise Ó Muiri and independent Barry Heneghan made their Dáil debuts on December 18.

O’Dongohue and Graves made the transition to the Dáil by way of Fingal County Council, while Brabazon, Ó Muiri and Heneghan joined the Dáil from Dublin City Council.

On Fingal County Council, one TD has been swapped out for another with Robert O’Donoghue being replaced by former Labour TD Kevin Humphreys.

Humphreys was a TD between 2011 and 2016 and served as a junior Minister in the Fine Gael-Labour coalition, while also serving as a Senator between 2016 and 2020.

The Irish Times reported that Humphreys’ appointment was a temporary co-option as it gives Labour a vote in the upcoming Seanad elections with a full-time candidate expected to be named early in 2025.

The Irish Times wrote “co-opting Humphreys ensures the party keeps its council vote for the Seanad elections as incoming TDs, outgoing senators and all local authority councillors can vote for the 43 vocational panel seats.”

Ann Graves’ replacement, clinical psychologist John Smith, came in the wake of Graves’ Dáil victory in Dublin Fingal East leaving the Swords seat vacant.

Smith was backed by Sinn Féin councillor Angela Donnelly with the nomination seconded by fellow Northsider Malachy Quinn.

Donnelly noted that Smith has done “outstanding” work working with people with intellectual disabilities.

She said that Smith’s interests lay in helping people with autism and trauma and added “I know this commitment and support to helping others will make John an excellent councillor and addition to the Sinn Féin team on this council.”

Humphreys was proposed for Fingal County Council by Labour colleague John Walsh, noting that Humphreys has a “wealth” of experience in both local and national government.

Humphreys was elected to Dublin City Council in 1999 until his election to the Dáil in 2011 in what is now known as Dublin Bay South.

“I think Kevin has a very strong track record and is very well-placed to represent people, as well as maintaining a strong Labour tradition in the Rush-Lusk area.”

Mayor Brian McDonagh noted that the new councillors will have the chance to formally introduce themselves to the new councillors at the next full meeting of Fingal County Council.

On Dublin City Council, the three Dublin Bay North men who made the leap to the Dáil – Brabazon, Ó Muiri and Heneghan – all saw their replacements co-opted at a special meeting of the council.

The same meeting saw Fine Gael’s Emma Blain become the new Lord Mayor of Dublin.

Artane-Whitehall candidate Aoibheann Mahon replaced Tom Brabazon, Clodagh Ní Mhurí replaced Naoise Ó Muiri while Barry Heneghan’s replacement comes in the form of Kevin Breen.

Fine Gael councillor Declan Flanagan said that Ó Muiri would be a “big loss” to local government having served on Dublin City Council since 2004 but was confident that Ní Mhurí would step up to the plate.

A Gaeilgeoir, Ní Mhuri is a Peace Commissioner for Dublin, and works in the education sector in Marino, supporting and advocating for Irish-medium education. 

“As a new councillor, I hope to continue some of Naoise’s work and focus on a few specific areas such as making our public spaces accessible to everyone.”

Addressing the chamber as Gaeilge, Ní Mhuri said she was looking forward to working with her new council colleagues.

Fianna Fáil councillor Racheal Batten backed Aoibheann Mahon for the council seat, noting that her father, Sean Paul Mahon, was a former Fianna Fáil councillor for Artane-Whitehall.

“She is here in her own right; she has held the position as Dublin organiser for Fianna Fáil and more recently the chair of Dublin Bay North.”

“She is going to be a fabulous representative for the people of Donaghmede,” she said.

Mahon said it was a “great honour” to succeed Brabazon in his role, with Brabazon also having served in local politics since 2003.

“He has done epic work for the last 21 years; it will be a great honour of mine to represent the people of Donaghmede,” she said.

“I just want to make this city better; it’s already a great city so let’s just work together and make it the best city in the world.”

Independent councillor Nial Ring spoke in favour of Kevin Breen succeeding Heneghan’s slot on Dublin City Council.

“Even though Barry was only here for a short while he has obviously made an impression!,” he remarked.

Ring noted that Breen was a classmate of Heneghan in primary school, and is a fourth-generation Dub and Clontarf man.

“Kevin has been a stalwart friends and confidant of my son and many other young guys in the area; as Kevin will tell you himself, he’s been on his own journey and has learned a lot from it.”

Breen said it was a “great honour” to be co-opted.

“I look forward to building upon the great work that Barry has done and will continue to do.”

“Like Barry, I offer this chamber a fresh perspective; a young voice, an independent voice. I fully intend to use my voice to fight for my community and the people that I represent.