Mary Freehill Explained

Nationality:Irish
Office:Dublin City Councillor
Term Start:1977
Term End:2024
Constituency:KimmageRathmines
Office2:Lord Mayor of Dublin
Term Start2:July 1999
Term End2:July 2000
Predecessor2:Joe Doyle
Successor2:Maurice Ahern
Party:Labour Party
Birth Date:22 July 1946
Birth Place:Ballyconnell, County Cavan, Ireland

Mary Freehill (born 22 July 1946) is a former Dublin City Councillor, who served as the Lord Mayor of Dublin during the Millennium year from 5 July 1999 to 3 July 2000.[1] [2] [3] She was a Labour Party councillor on Dublin City Council from 1977 to 2024.[4]

Freehill was born and went to school in the town of Ballyconnell, County Cavan. Her parents were Bernard Freehill, a building contractor and Kathleen Freehill (nee Donohoe) of Daisy Hill, Ballyconnell. She is a second cousin of Vin Scully, the former long-time play-by-play announcer for Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers.[5]

Freehill was elected to the city council in 1977 to 1985 for Pembroke electoral area and was re-elected for Rathmines electoral area in 1991. She was re-elected at each subsequent local election (1999, 2004, 2009, 2014, 2019) for the same area. She was an unsuccessful Labour Party candidate for Dublin South-East at the 1977 and 1981 general elections, and for Dublin Central at the 1987 general election.[6]

As Lord Mayor of Dublin City, she awarded the Freedom of the City to Nobel Peace Prize winner and Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and also to the band U2.[7]

Freehill did not contest the 2024 Dublin City Council election.[8]

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Labour woman to be elected Dublin Mayor. Humphreys. Joe. The Irish Times. en. 2 April 2020. 27 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210927235821/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/labour-woman-to-be-elected-dublin-mayor-1.197941. live.
  2. Web site: Mary to be city's fourth female Mayor. independent. 20 June 1999 . en. 2 April 2020. 27 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210927235826/https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/mary-to-be-citys-fourth-female-mayor-26147659.html. live.
  3. Web site: Lord Mayors of Dublin 1665–2020 . Dublin City Council. June 2020. 18 November 2023.
  4. Web site: Byrne, Alderman Alfred . 1 December 2007 . Who Was Who . . 10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u235369 . 27 October 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210927235824/https://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540891.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-235369 . 27 September 2021 . live.
  5. Web site: Inside Story: Vin's last innings . Seamus Enright . 11 September 2016 . Anglo Celt . 24 July 2023.
  6. Web site: Mary Freehill. ElectionsIreland.org. 26 July 2023.
  7. Web site: Details of Aung San Suu Kyi public event on Monday night. www.dublincity.ie. 2 April 2020. 9 December 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171209175644/http://www.dublincity.ie/main-menu-services-press-and-news-read-press-release-press-releases-2012-press-releases-june-2012-2. live.
  8. Web site: ANYTHING GOES IN KIMMAGE-RATHMINES. Finnerty. Mike. 20 March 2024. Dublin People. 6 April 2024.