Mayo political trailblazer elected as new Cathaoirleach of Ballina MD

Cllr Annie May Reape has been appointed Cathaoirleach of Ballina Municipal District for the 2026-2027 term, taking over the chain of office from outgoing chair Cllr Jarlath Munnelly at the district's annual meeting.

By Jack Good Published 17th Jun 2026, 14:30 BST Updated 17th Jun 2026, 14:31 BST Cllr Annie May Reape (centre) celebrates after winning re-election to Mayo County Council for the seventh time (Pic: The Mayo News) Cllr Annie May Reape has been appointed Cathaoirleach of Ballina Municipal District for the 2026-2027 term, taking over the chain of office from outgoing chair Cllr Jarlath Munnelly at the district's annual meeting. Sign up to our Mayo Live newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know you can manage your profile, and explore all of the available newsletters from Mayo Live within your account.

Cllr John O'Hara was appointed Leas Chathaoirleach for the same period.

Cllr Reape was nominated for the role by Cllr Michael Loftus and seconded by Cllr Marie-Thérèse Duffy, who pointed to her colleague's experience, expertise and capability as qualities that made her "the perfect fit for this role."

Speaking after her appointment, Cllr Reape thanked her colleagues and said it was an honour to take on the position.

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"I look forward to working with my colleagues and the officials, and I think anyone knows me, I won't be difficult, not too difficult anyway," she said. "We all work very well together. I look forward to working with you, and thank you, Jarlath, you did a great role for the year."

Cllr Munnelly congratulated his successor and said she was no stranger to the role.

"I know that you're going to do an excellent job this year, and you're no stranger to this role, and you'll do us all proud, no doubt about it," he said. He added that he felt it fitting that the Leas Chathaoirleach role would go to a man from a neighbouring parish, saying Cllr O'Hara would make "a very good deputy" who had served the county well.

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Cllr Reape thanked Cllr Munnelly for his work over the past year, saying: "If I can do half as well as that, I'd be very lucky."

Olivia Gallagher, Head of the Ballina Municipal District for Mayo County Council , welcomed both incoming officeholders and said she looked forward to working collaboratively with them over the coming year.

Cllr Munnelly also used the occasion to highlight that Ballina's senior management team is now entirely female, with the Director of Services, Head of Municipal District, Senior Executive Engineer and now the Cathaoirleach all women. "For us men, it's all over," he joked. "Well done, it's a great day for women."

Cllr Reape recalled that when she was first elected, she was the only woman among 30 male county councillors.

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Cllr Reape, a Fianna Fáil councillor first elected to Mayo County Council in 1991, was returned for a seventh term in June 2024.

She remains the only woman to have served as Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council.

Women remain significantly underrepresented on the council, with just five of its 30 members female: Cllr Reape, Cllr Donna Sheridan, Cllr Alma Gallagher, Cllr Deirdre Lawless and Cllr Marie-Thérèse Duffy. Only three of the five were directly elected in the 2024 local elections, Cllr Lawless was co-opted after her brother Paul was elected to the Dáil, while Cllr Duffy succeeded her brother following his election to the Seanad, putting the direct electoral return for women at roughly ten per cent.

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