Fine Gael Councillor James Geoghegan elected as new Lord Mayor of Dublin

Fine Gael councillor James Geoghegan has been elected as the 356^th Lord Mayor of Dublin following tonight’s annual meeting of Dublin City Council (DCC) in City Hall.

James Geoghegan, who is the party’s Dublin Bay South General election candidate, is the first Fine Gael councillor to be elected as Lord Mayor in 12 years. He was elected by a ruling group of councillors on DCC made up of Fine Gael, Green Party, Fianna Fail and Labour.

Cllr Geoghegan (39) was born and raised in Ranelagh, Dublin. He is the son of Hugh Geoghegan and Mary Finlay Geoghegan and has two sisters, Caren and Sarah. He is married to Claire Cummins since 2016 and they have three children together, Hugh (6), Harry (4), and Lila (2).

Following his election, Cllr Geoghegan, the Fine Gael Group Leader on Dublin City Council said: “I am honoured to be appointed the 356^th Lord Mayor of Dublin and I thank my colleagues for placing their trust in me to fulfil this prestigious role.

“I intend to put all my energy and focus into representing the city that I love and to deliver solutions to some of the challenges faced by the capital’s communities and businesses.

“My priorities as a councillor over the last four and a half years have been on the delivery of homes for young people, tackling anti-social behaviour and crime, and ensuring we have an inclusive society where families and individuals can enjoy a good quality of life.

“It is also essential that agencies including Dublin City Council continue to work together to ensure Dublin city is a safe and welcoming place where visitors and residents alike can enjoy our renowned hospitality and culture.

“I am humbled to take up the role of Dublin Lord Mayor and will continue to work hard on behalf of the capital’s citizens.”

A member of Fine Gael, Cllr Geoghegan was elected to Dublin City Council (DCC) in 2019 at the age of 33 and was subsequently re-elected in June of this year, representing the Pembroke local electoral area.

In the last council he served as a member of DCC Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) on Housing, subcommittee on homelessness, and South Inner City Drugs and Alcohol Taskforce. He also served as a board member of the National Maternity Hospital.

Councillor Geoghegan graduated with a first class honours degree in Politics and Sociology from University College Dublin and he has a Barrister-at-Law Degree from the Honorable Society of King’s Inns.

He has worked as a practising barrister for almost a decade. As a councillor he has been actively involved in developing autism and neurodiversity friendly initiatives in his community, defended artist spaces and supported campaigns including the Irish Thalidomide survivors.