Fine Gael councillor Ray McAdam elected as new Lord Mayor of Dublin
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2 hrs ago
FINE GAEL COUNCILLOR Ray McAdam has been elected as Dublin's newest Lord Mayor.
At this evening's Annual Council meeting, McAdam was elected to succeed his party colleague Emma Blain, who had served as Lord Mayor since 18 December.
He will now serve as the 358th Lord Mayor of Dublin until 29 June next year.
McAdam, a Cavan native who has previously acted as a Parliamentary Assistant to Paschal Donohoe, is a North Inner City councillor and was first elected in 2009.
He has been re-elected at subsequent Local Elections in 2014, 2019 and again in 2024.
Speaking following the election, McAdam thanked those who elected him as the 358th Lord Mayor of Dublin, his family and his colleagues in the chamber.
Congratulations to Councillor Ray McAdam who was Elected as the 358th Lord Mayor of Dublin 🎉
pic.twitter.com/G5ZkWaTsPX
— Lord Mayor of Dublin (@LordMayorDublin)
June 30, 2025
McAdam also paid tribute to his predecessor Blain, who he said brought 'empathy and purpose to the role'.
'Let this become the place where ambition meets action,' McAdam said, adding that celebrating Dublin 'will be the guiding star' of his term as Lord Mayor.
'We will celebrate Dublin, not only as it is, but as it can become. Because to truly celebrate something is also to shape it, to lift it up, to call it forward, to demand that it live up to its best self.'
McAdam then outlined five key initiatives for her term as Lord Mayor – including the rejuvenation of O'Connell Street, tackling dereliction, a 'get Dublin moving' sports initiative, a Dublin disability inclusion drive and a 'young Dubliners speak' initiative.
He also pledged to install a new statue on O'Connell Street within the year honouring 'the women of the revolution'.
O'Connell Street.
Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
'I am grateful for the courage, the leadership and the sacrifice of the women who shaped Ireland's revolutionary past, and I will do my part to ensure they are remembered not only with dignity and with respect, but in full view of the city they helped to build,' McAdam said.
He went on to say that the council knows the challenges facing the city – including housing, safety, climate change and socioeconomic barriers.
'These challenges are real, but they demand action, not avoidance. They demand leadership, not lament,' McAdam said.
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'Even in the face of these realities, I firmly believe in this city, not only because of what it has been, but because of what it can still be.'
Ahead of the election, Blain was invited to address her former Dublin City Council colleagues, where she thanked staff at the Mansion House on Dawson Street, her family and fellow councillors, and recalled some of the many 'memorable moments' during her tenure.
'Thank you for your belief in what Dublin can be,' Blain said.
'It was the greatest honour of my life'.
Former Lord Mayor Emma Blain.
'Dublin is in a good place. There's a renewed energy and a sense that we've turned a corner, and I've been glad to play a small part in that work,' she added.
'There is still work to do, but we're building strong foundations with talented and committed people leading the way.'
Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe congratulated his constituency and party colleague.
'A glorious moment as my wonderful friend Ray McAdam arrives at the Mansion House having been elected as the 358th Lord Mayor Dublin,' he said in a post on X.
'Ray is one of the hardest working people I know. He is ambitious for the role and will do a magnificent job. I wish him all the luck in the world.'
In addition to the support of his Fine Gael party, McAdam also got the backing of Fianna Fáil, Labour and Green party councillors.
This is because
Dublin City councillors from these parties entered into a political agreement last year
, which is set to run until 2029.
The position of Lord Mayor is set to be rotated among these parties as part of the agreement.
There are 63 councillors within Dublin City Council and 31 councillors belong to this pact. Ray McAdam received 34 votes during the election this evening.
Sinn Féin, which has nine councillors elected to Dublin City Council, nominated Councillor Kourtney Kenny as their candidate for Lord Mayor.
Sinn Féin is part of a newly-formed 'Progressive Alliance' which includes the Social Democrats, People Before Profit and independent councillors Pat Dunne, Cieran Perry, and John Lyons.
This alliance contains 24 councillors who supported Kenny's bid. Kenny received 22 votes this evening.
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