Editing Lord Mayor of Dublin

{{Short description|Honorific title of the chairperson of Dublin City Council}}
{{Redirect|Mayor of Dublin|another use|Proposed directly elected mayor for the Dublin metropolitan area}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox political post
| post            = [[Lord mayor|Lord Mayor]]
| body            = [[Dublin]]
| insignia        = Coat of Arms of the Mayor of Dublin City.png
| insigniasize    = 200px
| insigniacaption = The Coat of Arms of the office of Lord Mayor of Dublin
| nativename      = 
| image           = Emma Blain, April 2024 (cropped).jpg
| incumbent       = [[Emma Blain]]
| incumbentsince  = 18 December 2024
| style           = 
| residence       = [[Mansion House, Dublin|Mansion House]]
| appointer       = [[Dublin City Council]]
| termlength      = 1 year
| formation       = {{ubl|1229 {{small|(as Mayor of Dublin)}}|1665 {{small|(as Lord Mayor of Dublin)}}}}
| succession      = 
| inaugural       = {{ubl|Richard Muton {{small|(Mayor)}}|{{nowrap|Sir Daniel Bellingham {{small|(Lord Mayor)}}}}}}
| website         = {{URL|https://www.dublincity.ie/council/your-city-council/lord-mayor-dublin|Lord Mayor of Dublin}}
}}
The '''Lord Mayor of Dublin''' ({{langx|ga|Ardmhéara Bhaile Átha Cliath}}){{efn|Per section 32 of the Local Government Act, 2001: "(3) Where titles are continued in accordance with subsection (1), the holders of the offices concerned shall, as appropriate, be styled— (b) in the case of Dublin City Council, in the Irish language {{lang|ga|Ard-Mhéara Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath}} and {{lang|ga|Leas Ard-Mhéara Chathair Bhaile Átha Cliath}}, and in the English language ''Lord Mayor of the City of Dublin'' and ''Deputy Lord Mayor of the City of Dublin''."}} is the honorary title of the chairperson ({{langx|ga|Cathaoirleach|links=no}} {{IPA|ga|ˈkahiːɾˠl̠ʲəx|}}) of [[Dublin City Council]] which is the local government body for the city of [[Dublin]], the capital of Ireland. The incumbent, since December 2024, is [[Fine Gael]] councillor [[Emma Blain]] who was elected to the position following [[James Geoghegan (Fine Gael politician)|James Geoghegan]]'s election to [[Dáil Éireann]] at the [[2024 Irish general election]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thejournal.ie/emma-blain-lord-mayor-dublin-6575025-Dec2024/|title=Fine Gael's Emma Blain set to be appointed Lord Mayor of Dublin|date=18 December 2024|access-date=19 December 2024}}</ref> The office holder is elected annually by the members of the council.

==Background==
[[File:Mansion House with car.jpg|thumb|The [[Mansion House, Dublin|Mansion House]] with the Lord Mayor's official car, a [[Volvo S90]] T8 hybrid. Note the 191-D-1 licence plate, indicating that it was the [[Vehicle registration plates of the Republic of Ireland|first car registered]] in [[County Dublin]] in 2019.]]
{{Main|History of Dublin}}
The office of '''Mayor of Dublin''' was created in June 1229 by [[Henry III of England|Henry III]]. The office of ''Mayor'' was elevated to ''[[Lord mayor|Lord Mayor]]'' in 1665 by [[Charles II of England|Charles II]], and as part of this process received the honorific ''[[the Right Honourable]]'' (''the Rt Hon.''). Lord mayors were {{lang|la|ex-officio}} members of the [[Privy Council of Ireland]], which also entitled them to be addressed as ''the Right Honourable''. Though the Privy Council was {{lang|la|de facto}} abolished in 1922, the Lord Mayor continued to be entitled to be addressed as The Right Honourable as a result of the [[Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Act 1840]], which granted the title in law. The [[Local Government Act 2001]] finally removed the title as a consequence of the repeal of the 1840 act.

==Functions==
The office is largely symbolic and its responsibilities consist of chairing meetings of the city council and representing the city at public events. Apart from a few reserved functions, which are exercised by the city council as a whole, executive power is exercised by the [[Chief executive (Irish local government)|chief executive]], a council official appointed by the Public Appointments Service (formerly by the Local Appointments Commission). Except on a handful of occasions where the city government has been suspended for not striking a [[rates (tax)|rate]] (a level of local tax), Dublin has had a mayor for nearly eight hundred years.

The Lord Mayor resides in the eighteenth-century [[Mansion House, Dublin|Mansion House]] on [[Dawson Street]].

A privilege enjoyed by the Lord Mayor is to receive the first car registration number in Dublin for each new year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/vrt/leaflets/reserve-reg-number.html|title=How to Reserve a Registration Number|work=Revenue Commissioners|access-date=22 July 2015|archive-date=24 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924090552/http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/vrt/leaflets/reserve-reg-number.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Since 2018, each new Lord Mayor is presented with an official bicycle by the Dublin Cycling Campaign. [[Nial Ring]] was the first recipient.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dublincycling.com/cycling/official-bicycle-lord-mayor|title=Official Bicycle for the Lord Mayor|work=Dublin Cycling Campaign|date=28 August 2018|access-date=9 June 2020|archive-date=9 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609091526/https://www.dublincycling.com/cycling/official-bicycle-lord-mayor|url-status=live}}</ref>

==City regalia==
===Chain of office===
[[File:Hazel Chu 2021 - 1 (cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Hazel Chu]] wearing the Lord Mayor's chain of office in 2021.]]
The chain is the outward sign of the office of the Lord Mayor and is worn within the city when performing official civic functions, important ceremonial occasions and also as appropriate at other times, such as opening conferences, new businesses, etc. It is also worn, at the Lord Mayor's discretion, when paying visits to such places as schools, churches and the emergency services.

The Lord Mayor of Dublin's gold chain of office was presented by [[William III of England|King William III]] to the City of Dublin in 1698. The chain is composed of decorative links including the Tudor rose, a harp, a trefoil-shaped knot and the letter S (thought to stand for [[Seneschal]] or Steward). A circular gold medal with the bust of William III hangs from the chain.<ref name=CityRegalia>{{cite web|url=https://www.dublincity.ie/council/your-city-council/lord-mayor-dublin/history/city-regalia|title=City Regalia|work=Dublin City Council|date=7 March 2018|access-date=30 June 2021|archive-date=1 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210601174242/https://www.dublincity.ie/council/your-city-council/lord-mayor-dublin/history/city-regalia|url-status=live}}</ref> The previous chain was not returned by [[Michael Creagh (politician)|Michael Creagh]], the Protestant Jacobite Lord Mayor in 1688–1689.

===Dublin city seal===
The city seal dates from 1229/1230 when it was used by the Dublin City Assembly to issue a deed to the Town Clerk. One side shows three watchtowers above one of the city gates being defended by archers, while the reverse side shows a merchant ship at sea.<ref name=CityRegalia/>

===Great Dublin civic sword===
The civic sword dates from the 1390s and was made for [[Henry IV of England]] in 1399. He gave it to the City of Dublin in 1409/1410.<ref name=CityRegalia/>

===Great mace of Dublin===
The Great mace dates from 1717/1718 and incorporates parts of an earlier mace made in 1665 for the first Lord Mayor of Dublin, Sir Daniel Bellingham.<ref name=CityRegalia/>

The city sword and Great mace are still used at major civic events such as the Honorary Freedom of the City conferring. All of the above are on display in [[City Hall, Dublin]].

==Lord Mayor's coach==
[[File:ST. PATRICK'S DAY PARADE 2007 - DUBLIN- Lord Mayors State Coach.jpg|thumb|The Lord Mayor's coach at the 2007 Saint Patrick's Day parade in Dublin.]]
The Lord Mayor's coach was built in 1789 by William Whitton, of [[Dominick Street, Dublin|Dominick Street]], and made its first appearance on the streets of Dublin on 4 November 1791 in an annual event to mark the birthday of William III.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dublincity.ie/council/your-city-council/lord-mayor-dublin/history/lord-mayors-coach|title=The Lord Mayor's Coach|work=Dublin City Council|date=7 March 2018 |access-date=30 June 2021|archive-date=9 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709184155/https://www.dublincity.ie/council/your-city-council/lord-mayor-dublin/history/lord-mayors-coach|url-status=live}}</ref> The elaborately decorated coach far exceeded its original budget and was completed for a total cost of £2,690 13s 5d. The coach was used for ceremonial occasions up until 1932 when, due to its poor condition, it was placed in storage. Following expert restoration, the coach returned to public life in 1976 and is a feature of Dublin's annual [[Saint Patrick's Day]] parade.

==Notable mayors==
{{See also|List of mayors of Dublin}}
*Richard Muton (1229–1230), Dublin's first Mayor
*[[Gilbert de Lyvet]] (1233–1234, 1235–1237)<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DIIMAAAAYAAJ&dq=Gilbert+de+Livet+H.+S.+Sweetman&pg=PA101 |title=Gilbert de Livet, Calendar of Documents Relating to Ireland, Great Britain Public Record Office, H.S. Sweetman, 1875 |year=1875 |access-date=15 October 2016 |archive-date=14 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160914123136/https://books.google.com/books?id=DIIMAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA101&lpg=PA101&dq=Gilbert+de+Livet+H.+S.+Sweetman&source=web&ots=thXMbS-WE3&sig=7vXD-46iaN8lX_PE3vZFfgAiR1s&hl=en |url-status=live |last1=Sweetman |first1=Henry Savage }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qgIGAAAAQAAJ&dq=%22de+livet%22+dublin&pg=PA117 |title=Registrum prioratus omnium sanctorum juxta Dublin, All Hallows' Priory, Richard Butler, 1845 |access-date=15 October 2016 |archive-date=12 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160912174428/https://books.google.com/books?id=qgIGAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA117&lpg=PA117&dq=%22de+livet%22+dublin&source=web&ots=2a-AM1jN87&sig=lMKPKe1fCasMBQjy7rcltVVw-C4&hl=en |url-status=live |last1=Butler |first1=Richard |year=1845 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v8mKRXrj-RYC&dq=%22de+livet%22+dublin&pg=PA78 |title=King Henry III to Gilbert Livet, Dublin, Histoire du Commerce et de la Navigation a Bordeaux, Francisque Michel, 1867 |access-date=15 October 2016 |archive-date=9 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160809100533/https://books.google.com/books?id=v8mKRXrj-RYC&pg=PA78&lpg=PA78&dq=%22de+livet%22+dublin&source=web&ots=kl4-kVxkxl&sig=dCtm7Okzrg1gPUAqRVXS7RABIgU&hl=en#PPA78,M1 |url-status=live |last1=Michel |first1=Francisque |year=1867 }}</ref>
*[[John Drake (mayor)|John Drake]], three times Mayor between 1401 and 1412, who led the Dubliners to victory over the O'Byrne clan of [[County Wicklow]] at the Battle of Bloody Bank in 1402
*[[Bartholomew Ball]] (1553–1554), whose widow Blessed [[Margaret Ball]] was martyred by their eldest son, Walter
*[[Walter Ball (alderman)|Walter Ball]] (1580–1581), Commissioner for Ecclesiastical Causes – implemented the [[English Reformation|Reformation]] in Dublin
*[[Francis Taylor (martyr)|Francis Taylor]] (1595–1596), who was incarcerated because of his [[Catholic Church|Catholic]]ism, and has been declared a [[martyr]] for his faith and [[beatified]] by the Catholic Church
*Sir Daniel Bellingham (1665–1666), first ''Lord'' Mayor
*Jean Desmynieres (1666–1667) and Lewis Desmynieres (1669–1670), [[Huguenot]] Lord Mayors of Dublin
*[[Michael Creagh (politician)|Sir Michael Creagh]] (1688–1689) who, although a Protestant, was a supporter of the Catholic [[James II of England|James II]]
*Sir [[Mark Rainsford]] (1700–1701), the original founder of what was to become St James' Gate (Guinness) Brewery
*[[Daniel O'Connell]] (1841–1842), leader of campaigns for [[Catholic Emancipation]] and [[Repeal Association|Repeal]] of the [[Acts of Union 1800|Acts of Union]]; first Catholic Lord Mayor of Dublin since 1690
*Sir [[John Barrington (Lord Mayor of Dublin)|John Barrington]] (1865–1866 and 1879–1880), the first [[Quaker]] to hold the office
*[[Thomas Devereux Pile|Sir Thomas Devereux Pile]] (1900-1901), the last Unionist to hold office
*[[Laurence O'Neill]] (1917–1924), who was Lord Mayor throughout the [[Irish War of Independence]] and the [[Irish Civil War]]<ref name=dib>{{cite web|url=https://www.dib.ie/biography/oneill-laurence-a9555|title=O'Neill, Laurence|work=[[Dictionary of Irish Biography]]|access-date=16 December 2021}}</ref>
*[[Alfie Byrne]] (1930–1939 and 1954–1955), the longest-serving Lord Mayor of Dublin in the office's 800-year history 
*[[Kathleen Clarke]] (1939–1941), the first woman in the post<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/03/16/opinion/eight-women-of-irelands-1916-easter-rising.html|title= Eight Women of the Easter Rising|work= [[The New York Times]]|author=Walshe, Sadhbh|date= 16 March 2016|access-date = 10 June 2022}}</ref>
*[[Robert Briscoe (politician)|Robert Briscoe]] (1956–1957 and 1961–1962), the first Jewish Lord Mayor of Dublin<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dib.ie/biography/briscoe-robert-emmet-a0965|title=Briscoe, Robert Emmet|work=[[Dictionary of Irish Biography]]|access-date=16 October 2023}}</ref>
*[[Tomás Mac Giolla]] (1993–1994), former [[Irish Republican Army (1922–1969)|republican]] prisoner and long-time leader of [[Sinn Féin]], and later the [[Workers' Party (Ireland)|Worker's Party of Ireland]] 
*[[Hazel Chu]] (2020–2021), the first person of Chinese ethnicity to be mayor of a European capital<ref name="SCMP_prof">{{cite news |last1=Carney |first1=John |title=Dublin's first ethnic-Chinese mayor on racism, her parents' work ethic, and teaching poor children in China |url=https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3095902/dublins-first-ethnic-chinese-mayor-racism-her-parents-work-ethic-and |access-date=23 January 2021 |work=[[South China Morning Post]] |date=5 August 2020 |archive-date=11 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210311001907/https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3095902/dublins-first-ethnic-chinese-mayor-racism-her-parents-work-ethic-and |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=1 August 2020|title=Hazel Chu on being a woman of colour in Irish politics|url=https://www.rte.ie/lifestyle/living/2020/0731/1156680-hazel-chu-on-being-a-woman-of-colour-in-irish-politics/|work=[[RTÉ]]|access-date=23 April 2021|archive-date=26 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210426064002/https://www.rte.ie/lifestyle/living/2020/0731/1156680-hazel-chu-on-being-a-woman-of-colour-in-irish-politics/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Lord Mayor of Belfast]]
*[[Lord Mayor of Cork]]
*[[Mayor of Kilkenny]]
*[[City status in Ireland]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.dublincity.ie/council/your-city-council/lord-mayor-dublin Lord Mayor Website]
*[https://www.dublincity.ie/sites/default/files/2020-09/lord-mayors-of-dublin-1665-2021.pdf Lord Mayors of Dublin 1665–2021] (Dublin City Council)

{{History of Dublin}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dublin, Lord Mayor Of}}
[[Category:Lord mayors of Dublin| ]]
[[Category:Local government in County Dublin]]
[[Category:History of Dublin (city)]]