Proud day for Kilkelly as John takes top post

Kilkelly councillor John Caulfield has been installed as Mayo’s first citizen following his election as Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council for the 2026/2027 political term.

At the annual general meeting of the council held in Aras an Chontae in Castlebar this afternoon, beaming sunshine matched the festive mood of friends, family and supporters who packed the public gallery as they witnessed the passing of the mantle from outgoing Cathaoirleach Cllr Sean Carey to the Kilkelly man, Cllr Caulfield, who will be the first Cathaoirleach from the Kilkelly area in over 70 years.

Speeches and tributes aplenty flowed over the space of two hours, with high praise heaped on Cllr Sean Carey, as one councillor after another thanked him for his exemplary performance as chairperson during his very busy term throughout the last twelve months.

Multiple mentions and tributes were also paid to Minister Dara Calleary, whose presence was warmly welcomed in the chamber for the occasion, with many members thanking him for all he has delivered to date while taking the opportunity to issue some direct requests that he continue to do the same and more. Senator Mark Duffy was also welcomed and thanked for being present, with several references made to the fact that Mayo County Council had been his short-term stomping ground, prior to his elevation to high office.

Cllr Caulfield was proposed for the role by Cllr Damien Ryan who said his colleague had never shied away from difficult decisions since his first election in 2014, and praised his record on the council, stating that he "bided his time and knew his day would come”. The Fianna Fáil member has represented the Swinford Electoral Area since 2014, winning re-election in 2019 and 2024.

Seconding the nomination, Cllr Adrian Forkan, a neighbour of Cllr Caulfield's in Kilkelly, said the area's last cathaoirleach had been Dominic Cafferky way back in 1951.

There were no other nominations, and Cllr Caulfield was elected unanimously.

In his acceptance speech, Cllr Caulfield thanked his proposer and seconder and said it was “an honour to take up the position”. He thanked his wife Mary and family for their support through what he described as a difficult two years following a serious injury that left him in a wheelchair.

Outlining his ambitions for the year head, Cllr Caulfield said housing is “the greatest challenge facing the county”, thanking outgoing Director of Housing Tom Gilligan for his work and welcoming incoming director Catherine McConnell.

“Each Cathaoirleach in their time faces challenges but like most other counties, housing and the lack of it is the greatest challenge in Mayo and we will throw the kitchen sink at this to revitalise the housing market in the county.”

Pledging to promote the use of Irish at every opportunity, the new Cathaoirleach paid tribute to his former national schoolteacher, Joseph Smyth, who instilled in him a love of the Irish language, music and drama.

Cllr Caulfield said one of his proudest moments as a councillor came when he witnessed a performance by Cuimsiú, a branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann Mayo, during the recent civic reception in Westport, held for Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. The group is made up of musicians living with various challenges, including visual impairment and non-verbal members, whose confidence and talent has made the county proud.

Cllr Caulfield made special mention of Ireland West Airport Knock which recently celebrated its 40th anniversary, promising to push for the Strategic Development Zone to become a reality there, in turn creating new employment for the county.

He spoke of the lack of infrastructure in the county and his goal to push for the Western Rail Corridor, “which has been going on for twenty years”.

Colleagues from across the political divide paid tribute to Cllr Caulfield.

Fine Gael Cllr Peter Flynn said it was a "proud day" for the county, noting it was 70 years since the Kilkelly area had produced a cathaoirleach.

Cllr Richard Finn, speaking on behalf of independent councillors, congratulated Cllr Caulfield. He referenced his recovery from a serious injury two years ago that left him in a wheelchair and required him to attend council meetings remotely for a period.

Cllr Finn said the injury would have brought most people down, but Cllr Caulfield had endured it with a positive attitude.

Sinn Féin Cllr Gerry Murray said that despite the accident, Cllr Caulfield had remained present online and working for the communities he represented in east Mayo.

Cllr Gerry Coyle was unanimously elected to the role of Leas Cathaoirleach. Members paid tribute to Cllr Coyle’s long years of service to the Erris community, with Cllr Flynn noting his lifetime association with Geesala Boxing Club, predicting that Cllr Coyle and Cllr Caulfield would be "quite the double act" over the year ahead.

• Published as part of the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.