Vicki tipped to be new Mayor of South Dublin County
By Aideen O'Flaherty
FINE Gael councillor for Lucan and disability advocate Vicki Casserly is hotly tipped to be this year’s Mayor of South Dublin County Council, while Fianna Fáil’s Trevor Gilligan is expected to be voted into the role of deputy mayor.
The roles of mayor and deputy mayor are elected by the sitting councillors, and the vote will take place on Friday afternoon in the council chamber.
Cllr Vicki Casserly (right) is tipped to be the new mayor of South Dublin. She is seen here with Roscommon Senator Maura Hopkins (left) and
Olympic medalist Kenneth Egan as they kicked off National Fitness Day last September
The Echo understands that Cllr Casserly and Cllr Gilligan are the front runners for the roles of mayor and deputy mayor respectively.
Cllr Casserly was first elected to the council in 2014, where advocating for people with disabilities has been a primary focus during her time as a councillor, as she is a carer for her teenage son, James, who has cerebral palsy and juvenile arthritis. She was re-elected by the people of Lucan in last month’s local elections.
Cllr Gilligan is also a familiar face in the council chamber, with the Clondalkin councillor and web designer having been first elected in 2004, and successfully re-elected in the last month’s local elections.
The outgoing mayor Mark Ward, who is a Sinn Féin councillor for Palmerstown-Fonthill, told The Echo: “Being the Mayor of South Dublin County Council has been one of the most brilliant experiences of my life. I had a fantastic year.
“I was the first person from North Clondalkin to be mayor, so it was good for me, my family and my area.
“One of the best things about being Mayor is that it gives you a holistic view of the areas that the council covers.”
When asked how he feels about his term as mayor coming to an end, he said: “It’s a bit surreal. I’ll be saddened, but I have no regrets about my time as mayor.”
The incumbent Deputy Mayor, Sinn Féin councillor Cathal King, will also being ending his term on Friday, when the vote will be held to ultimately decide who will be the new mayor and deputy mayor from June 2019 until June 2020.
