Pond promises he will be Limerick’s champion

"I LOVE Limerick, and everything about Limerick, and I intend to be an active Cathaoirleach for Limerick City, a champion for each...

“I LOVE Limerick, and everything about Limerick, and I intend to be an active Cathaoirleach for Limerick City, a champion for each and every Limerick person.”

So said Fianna Fáil councillor Joe Pond as he was elected as chair of the Metropolitan District’s AGM in Merchant’s Quay.

Cllr Pond was proposed for the role of Cathaoirleach by his party colleague, Cllr Catherine Slattery, who took the view that the district needs a leader with experience, integrity, and vision to guide the district. She expressed her confidence in Cllr Pond being “exactly that leader”.

“Joe is a community activist and a councillor for many years, and throughout this time he has proven to be a tireless advocate for his community. During his tenure, he campaigned along with Willie O’Dea for a Garda Station in Castletroy, and I’m sure he will not stop until he achieves his goal. He is particularly active with young people through sports, and his position with his beloved Aisling Annacotty,” Cllr Slattery commented.

“Joe is always on hand to help the elderly of his area, and is regularly seen in Castleconnell, Annacotty, and Castletroy, meeting people for coffee and chats to help them with whatever issues they have.

“As our Metropolitan region continues to grow, we need a chair who is prepared to tackle the critical issues we face, and Joe Pond is committed to help Limerick grow. Joe is a very proud Limerick man. He loves his city,” she added.

Cllr Pond, a caretaker at Milford National School, secured the district’s top seat without opposition.

Twice co-opted onto the local authority in 2015 and 2022, he took the third seat in City East in the 2024 local elections. Cllr Pond told Council members at the AGM that they must all play their part to help Limerick City continue to grow and develop.

“I love Limerick. I believe we must all work together to make this happen. We’ve a beautiful city with the majestic River Shannon running through it. We get lots of things right here, just thinking of Riverfest and Twilight Thursdays, which is really taking off. And, as I walked in here this morning, I saw the Opera Site, which is rapidly being developed, a tremendous modernisation of our city.

“However, an area of concern for me will be footfall within the city. We need to get more people into the city to help businesses prosper and grow, and to attract new business to the city centre. I, as Cathaoirleach, will work with anyone to help with this,” Cllr Pond vowed.

Cllr Catherine Slattery (FF) was elected Leas-Cathaoirleach on the day.