James Cox
Labour Councillor Alison Gilliland has been elected the 353rd Lord Mayor of Dublin.
Cllr Gilliland is the 10th woman to hold the office of the Lord Mayor of Dublin and succeeds Councillor Hazel Chu.
Originally from Ballybay, Co Monaghan, Cllr Gilliland has called Dublin her home since 1995.
She was first elected to Dublin City Council in 2014 representing the Beaumont/Donaghmede local electoral area and, following a boundary change, was re-elected in 2019 representing the Artane/Whitehall local electoral area.
She is chairperson of the DCC Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) on Housing and a member of the Finance SPC. She is also an alternate member to the European Committee of the Regions and sits on the Commission for Citizenship, Governance, Institutional and External Affairs (CIVEX).
INTO
Cllr Gilliland worked as a senior official with the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO).
She headed up the INTO Learning Section and was their equality officer, supporting the union’s Equality Committee and working on issues pertaining to LGBT+ inclusion, racial, ethnic and cultural diversity and member reproductive health related matters.
Graduating with a Bachelor in Education from Trinity College Dublin, she is a former primary teacher. She taught for several years in Spain before returning to Dublin to teach in both Our Lady Immaculate JNS and SNS in Darndale, Dublin 17 and in Swords Educate Together NS.
Professionalism
She holds a doctorate in Education and Research from the University of Nottingham awarded for her research into young teacher union activists’ views and experiences of involvement, voice, and agency in their union and its influence on their concept of professionalism.
She has also completed studies with Dublin City University and the London School of Economics in the area of leadership and with Community Law and Mediation in the area of housing.
Councillor Joe Costello was elected the Deputy Lord Mayor of Dublin at tonight’s meeting.
Speaking after her election, Cllr Gilliland outlined her priorities for the year ahead, saying: “The last 15 months have been a really tough, and challenging time for all who live in our city and our council officials, and I want to pay special tribute to our outgoing Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor for their stewardship over that time. Covid-19 has brought the role and essence of Dublin City Council to the fore — that of providing for and supporting the people of Dublin.
Community
“I believe this pandemic has brought into focus what matters to us as a city. We have learned to appreciate the riches that lie within our immediate community whether that be our local green space, our local coffee shop or our local leaders.
“Our challenge now is to enhance those local community riches and at the same time reimage our city centre not just as a place to work, to do business to enjoy arts, culture and recreation amenities but also as a place to live in a sustainable manner that promotes personal, environmental well being as well as economic activity.
“As Lord Mayor I will endeavour to work with you my colleagues, our officials and our citizens not just to make Dublin look and feel like a European capital but that it also becomes a key player among European cities."
Gender and housing were two of the other key issues she pledged to address.
