Association of County and City Councils : History

The General Council of County Councils was formed at an exciting time in the story of modern Ireland. An emerging sense of national identity was beginning to drive forward the creation of new democratic movements towards the end of the 19th century.

The Local Government (Ireland) Act of 1898 established the first democratically elected framework of local government based, crucially, on the historic Irish counties.    Elections to the new councils took place in April 1899 and within months the newly elected councillors felt the need to establish a network to develop their capacity to shape the future of Irish public life. On 22 August 1899 the inaugural meeting of the General Council of County Councils was convened with representatives from twenty-two counties forming the inaugural unit . By 1902 all of the counties on the island, including those in the north-east were to become members.

The turbulent course of Irish history in the early 20th century meant the end of all-island membership. In the post 1920s Free State and later Republic the emphasis on the creation of a new national entity meant that there was little attention given to the development of local democracy. However the General Council persisted through times of great stress to provide a national forum for local government in the decades that followed. Click here to see the story of the General County Council in more detail.

*quote attributed to Sir Thomas Grattan Esmonde, first Chairman of the General Council, 1899