28-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Tipperary councillor becomes first local woman to lead national councillors' body
Fine Gael councillor Mary Hanna Hourigan was elected to lead the Association of Irish Local Government (AILG) as president for the next 12 months.
The AILG is a body that represents the 949 city and county councillors across Ireland, as well as organising training and education for local councillors across the country.
At the July meeting of the Tipperary-Cahir-Cashel Municipal District (MD), council colleagues congratulated Cllr Hourigan, and wished her well on her 12 months at the helm of the AILG.
Cathaoirleach of the Tipperary-Cahir-Cashel MD Cllr Roger Kennedy led the congratulations to Cllr Hourigan, with Fianna Fáil councillor Micheál Anglim also saying that the Cappawhite-based councillor would be well able for the job.
Cashel-based councillor Liam Browne said that Cllr Hourigan had been a 'fantastic' colleague to him since his election, and that he was assured that she would do the same for councillors all over the country.
Councillor Declan Burgess said that Cllr Hourigan's appointment represents a 'huge opportunity and responsibility'.
Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Hourigan said that she was honoured to be chosen as the association's president.
"It is a great honour and a great privilege to have been elected,' Cllr Hourigan said.
"I had cross-party support and that was great for me, to see Labour, Sinn Féin, independent, everybody supported me on the role on the day so I will now be representing the 949 councillors across this country in local government for the next 12 months and it's a great honour to be representing Tipperary,' she added.
Cllr Hourigan said as well as supporting councillors across the country, she hopes to use the role to advocate for Tipperary, and to make sure the county's voice is heard on a national level.
"I hope in my role that I will have an opportunity to meet a lot of ministers and I hope that Tipperary will be to the forefront of my list of requests, the first message I got was a text message from James Browne, Housing and Local Government Minister on Friday morning on his private mobile, so I hope I'll be able to deliver for Tipperary,' Cllr Hourigan said.
