Mayor of Derry City and Strabane

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Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council
Londonderry COA.svg
Derry City Coat of Arms
Incumbent
Ruairí McHugh
since 3 June 2024
Appointer Derry and Strabane District Council
Term length One year
Inaugural holderJohn Rowley
Formation1604 (as Provost)
1613 (as Mayor)
DeputyNiree McMorris
Website Council Website

The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council is an honorary position bestowed upon a Citizen of Derry City & Strabane District in Northern Ireland, who is in practice a member of Derry and Strabane District Council, chosen by their peers on the council to serve a one-year term. [1] The mayor is the chairperson of the council as well as the city's first citizen. The current Mayor is Ruairí McHugh of Sinn Féin. The current Deputy Mayor is Alderman Niree McMorris of the Democratic Unionist Party.

Contents


The district was created in 2015 by the merger of two existing councils. The previous post of Mayor of Derry, more formally Lord Mayor of Londonderry, has a long history. A provost, Sir Henry Docwra, was appointed in the initial city charter of 1604 by James I. In 1613, this post was replaced with that of governor, or mayor, with John Rowley being the first to serve. [2] The City charter of 1665 which provided:

And further we will, and by these presents for us our heirs and successors do grant and ordain, that for ever hereafter there be and shall be within the city of Londonderry aforesaid one of the more honest and discreet citizens of the said city, or of the more honest and discreet inhabitants within the liberty of the same, in form hereafter in these presents mentioned, from time to time to be elected, who shall be and called the mayor of the said city. [3]

During much of its history, it has been held by unionists (largely due to the practice of gerrymandering), [4] but in recent years, the majority of mayors have been Irish nationalists, reflecting the majority of the city's population.

From 1921 until 1969, the Lord Mayor was automatically entitled to a seat in the Senate of Northern Ireland.

List of mayors

17th century

FromToNameParty
1615John Vaughan
1617 Sir John Vaughan
1618John Wray
16201621Jesse Smith
1625H Vaughan
1629Sir John Vaughan
1631William Gage
1636Thomas Hammond
1639 Peter Benson
1641James Vaughan
1643Sir Robert Stewart [5]
1644Colonel Audley Mervyn
1646Sir Charles Coote
1653Henry Finch
1654Ralph King
16551656John Handford
1657John Elwin
1658Samuel Dawson (died in office)
1659John Westgate
1660Luke Ash
1662William Gardner
1664Colonel John Gorges
1670Thomas Skipton
1671Hugh Edwards
16721674Samuel Norman
16751676Gervais Squire
1677Colonel William Cecil
16781680Thomas Moncrieff
16811682John Campsie
1683Alexander Tomkins
1684James Hobson
16851686John Campsie
1687Andrew Coningham (died in office)
1688John Campsie
1690Gervais Squire
1691Alexander Lecky
1692William Squire (died in office)
1693James Lenox
1694Henry Long
1695Alexander Lecky
1696Henry Ash
1697James Lenox
1698Horace Kennedy
1699Gervais Squire
1700Edward Brooks

18th century

FromToName
1701Thomas Moncrieff [6]
1702Robert Shannon [6]
17031704Samuel Leeson [6]
1705Henry Ash [6]
1706George Tomkins [6]
1707Charles Norman [6]
1708Thomas Lecky [6]
1709Thomas Ash [6]
1710Samuel Leeson [6]
1711Robert Norman [6]
1712John Wotton [6]
1713Alexander Tomkins [6]
1714John Wotton [7]
17691770Robert Fairly [8]
1771Adam Schoales [7]
1772Hugh Hill [7]
1773William Lecky [7]
17741775Charles M'Manus [7]
1776Thomas Bateson [7]
1777John Coningham [7]
1778John Ferguson [7]
1779George Ash
17801781Thomas Lecky [7]
1782Robert Fairly [7]
17831784John Coningham [7]
17851786Squire Lecky [7]
17871788John Coningham [7]
1789Squire Lecky [7]
17901791Eneas Murray [7]
17921793Stephen Bennett [7]
17941795George Kennedy [7]
17961797 Andrew Ferguson [7]
17981799John Darcus [7]
18001801William Walker [7]

19th century

FromToNameParty
1802R. G. Hill [7]
1803John Darcus [7]
18041805R. Murray [7]
18061807William Walker [7]
18081809Thomas Lecky [7]
18101811Thomas Scott [7]
18121813John Curry [7]
18141815Marcus S. Hill [7]
18161817William Alexander [7]
18181819William Scott [7]
18201821Sir John Maginnis [7]
18221823John Dysart [7]
18241825John Rea [7]
18261827Richard Young [7]
18281829Conolly Skipton [7]
1830Sir R.A. Ferguson (resigned), then J. Dysart [7]
1831Richard Young [7]
18321833George Hill [7]
18341835Joshua Gillespie [7]
18361837Thomas P. Kennedy [7]
18381839 Sir Robert Bateson, Bt [7]
18401841Joseph E. Miller [7]
18421843Conolly Lecky [9]
18431845William Haslett [9]
18451846John Munn [9]
18461847Daniel Baird [9]
1847Alexander Lindsay [9]
18591862Bartholomew McCorkell JP [9]
18681869Sir Edward Reid [10] Conservative
18751877Sir William Miller, MD [11] Conservative
1883Henry Darcus
?1887?(Sir) Thomas Lecky [12]
18881889Sir William Miller Conservative
18981899Sir John Barr Johnston
18991900Sir William McLearn Irish Unionist

20th century

FromToNameParty
19011902 Sir Francis Henry Miller Irish Unionist
19081911 John McFarland Irish Unionist
19111912Matthew Anderson Ballantine Irish Unionist
19121913John McFarland Irish Unionist
19131915William McLearn Irish Unionist
19151920 Robert Newton Anderson Irish Unionist
19201923 Hugh O'Doherty Nationalist
19231925Maxwell Scott Moore UUP
19251927John Gilbert Magee UUP
19271929James Hamilton UUP
19291935 Dudley McCorkell UUP
19351939 James McElmunn Wilton UUP
19391940 Basil McFarland UUP
19401945Frederick James Simmons UUP
19451950 Basil McFarland UUP
19501952Gerald Stanley Glover UUP
19521954Samuel Orr UUP
19541957Samuel Sydney Dowds UUP
19571961John Gordon Colhoun UUP
19611963Gerald Stanley Glover UUP
19631968 Albert Anderson UUP
19681969William Beatty UUP
19691973Post vacant - council replaced by interim development commission
19731974 Raymond McClean SDLP
19741975 Jack Allen UUP
19751976 Ivor Canavan Alliance
19761977James Hegarty Nationalist
19771978Hugh Doherty SDLP
19781979Thomas M. Craig UUP
19791980Pat Devine SDLP
19801981Marleen Jefferson UUP
19811982Joe Fegan SDLP
19821983William O'Connell SDLP
19831984Len Green SDLP
19841985 John Tierney SDLP
19851986John McNickle SDLP
19861987Noel McKenna SDLP
19871988James Guy Ind. Unionist
19881989Annie Gallagher SDLP
19891990Tony Carlin SDLP
19901991David Davis Ind. Unionist
19911992 Mary Bradley SDLP
19921993 William Hay DUP
19931994 Annie Courtney SDLP
19941995James Guy Ind. Unionist
19951996John Kerr SDLP
19961997Richard Dallas UUP
19971998Martin Bradley SDLP
19981999Joe Millar DUP
19992000 Pat Ramsey SDLP

21st century

FromToNameParty
20002001Cathal Crumley Sinn Féin
20012002Mildred Garfield DUP
20022003Kathleen McCloskey SDLP
20032004Shaun Gallagher SDLP
20042005Gearóid Ó hEára Sinn Féin
20052006Lynn Fleming Sinn Féin
20062007 Helen Quigley SDLP
20072008Drew Thompson DUP
20082009 Gerard Diver SDLP
20092010Paul Fleming Sinn Féin
20102011 Colum Eastwood SDLP
20112012 Maurice Devenney DUP
20122013Kevin Campbell Sinn Féin
20132014Martin Reilly SDLP
20142015Brenda Stevenson SDLP
20152016 Elisha McCallion Sinn Féin
20162017Hilary McClintock DUP
20172018 Maolíosa McHugh Sinn Féin
20182019John Boyle SDLP
20192020 Michaela Boyle Sinn Féin
20202021Brian Tierney SDLP
20212022Graham Warke DUP
20222023Sandra Duffy Sinn Féin
20232024Patricia Logue Sinn Féin
2024- Lilian Seenoi-Barr SDLP

References

  1. ↑ "Derry City & Strabane – Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council". www.derrystrabane.com.
  2. ↑ Thomas Colby, Ordnance Survey of the County of Londonderry, p. 87
  3. ↑ Charter of the City of Londonderry
  4. ↑ "sdy60f2.tmp" (PDF).
  5. ↑ Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Volume 54
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Memoir of the City and North Western Liberties of Londonderry ..., Volume 1. pp. 87–88.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 Simpson, Robert. The Annals of Derry. p. 204.
  8. ↑ "History of Congregations of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland and Biographical Notices of Eminent Presbyterian Ministers and Laymen", 1886
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 The Annals of Derry. p. 211.
  10. ↑ personal memorandum of Sir Edward Reid
  11. ↑ "Obituary – Sir William Miller". The Times. No. 36052. London. 30 January 1900. p. 10.
  12. ↑ Shaw, William. The Knights of England: A Complete Record from the Earliest Time ..., Volume 1. p. 383.
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