Celebrating 30 years of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council

This year, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council celebrates its 30-year anniversary since its formation in 1994 

In 1994 Dún Laoghaire Borough Council was abolished and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council was formed.  The county expanded beyond Dún Laoghaire and now covers from Rathfarnham down to Bray. 28 Councillors made up this new Council, an increase from 15 in Dún Laoghaire Borough Council. As time passed and the population increased additional Councillors were added, and there are currently 40 councillors representing 6 electoral wards.

A new Chain of Office was created for An Cathaoirleach to represent O Chuan go Sliabh, from the Mountains to the Sea. Its imagery represents different aspects of our larger County: a Viking ship for maritime areas, an oak branch for the ancient wooded nature, a triangle for part of the Dublin mountains and more. While many changes have occurred, our vision is to continue to create a progressive and vibrant County that is attractive, inclusive and accessible for everyone.

Your County’s Evolution!

The origins of the Irish county structure can be traced back to the Anglo-Norman invasion of the 12th century. The boundaries we are familiar with today were fully in place by 1606 with the formation of Wicklow. In the mountains, the O’Byrnes (later owners of Cabinteely House) and the O’Tooles had held out against the new county order.

What is now Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown had been partly within The Pale and partly “Beyond The Pale”- parts of the Pale boundary ditch are still visible here. By the 19th century, the area was made up of four Townships and one Rural District: Blackrock, Dalkey, Killiney & Ballybrack, Kingstown (Dún Laoghaire from 1920) and Rathdown Rural District no. 1.

Three major administrative changes have given us the current county:

• In 1930, the four townships became Dún Laoghaire Borough Corporation (with fifteen elected members).

• In 1985, three electoral counties were formed and sat as Dublin County Council with a total of seventy eight elected members (of which fifteen specifically represented Dún Laoghaire Borough Corporation).

• In 1994, Dublin County Council was abolished, and the three current counties: Dún LaoghaireRathdown, Fingal and South Dublin were formed.

The new Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council met for the first time on 10th January 1994, with all twenty-eight elected representatives present. Their number increased to forty at the time of the 2014 Local Elections.

Looking ahead to the future

As we look to the future, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council will continue to invest in resilient local economies and enhance the quality of life for our residents. With a population of over 233,000 and anticipated growth to 250,000 by 2031, the county offers some of the best natural, cultural, and sporting amenities in Ireland. Our current budget of €275 million enables us to deliver over 1,000 services, including housing, planning, transport, infrastructure, parks, culture, creativity, environmental protection, and climate action. This also allows us to provide numerous community amenities that enrich the lives of our citizens.

Read more in the latest issue of the dlr Times.