INDEPENDENT city councillor Kathleen Leddin has been installed as the 817th Mayor of Limerick.
It was a case of third time lucky for the Northside councillor as she defeated Fine Gael nominee Cllr. Denis McCarthy by nine votes to eight.
For two of the last five years, Cllr Leddin was runner-up in the mayoral election, as Fine Gael and Labour joined forces to rotate the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor between them.
This time around, her election was secured after Fine Gael’s Pat Kennedy voted against his own party and the Labour Party failed to deliver on its election pact with Fine Gael.
Labour’s Joe Leddin broke ranks to support Cllr Leddin who was nominated by fellow Independent John Gilligan.
There were indications of a split in the Fine Gael camp when Cllr McCarthy’s nomination was opposed by Cllr Kennedy who was bidding for his third term as Mayor.
Stating that she was the happiest woman in Limerick, the new Mayor said she was delighted with her election having served as a councillor for the past 14 years.
Maintaining a family link with the mayoralty, Labour’s Orla McLoughlin, a daughter of outgoing Mayor Gerry McLoughlin, was elected Deputy Mayor.
