Mary Freehill

Mary Freehill
Freehill in 2015
Dublin City Councillor
In office 1977–2024
Constituency	Kimmage–Rathmines
Lord Mayor of Dublin
In office July 1999 – July 2000
Preceded by	Joe Doyle
Succeeded by	Maurice Ahern
Personal details
Born	(1946-07-22) 22 July 1946 (age 78) Ballyconnell, County Cavan, Ireland
Political party	Labour Party

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]

References

1. Humphreys, Joe. "Labour woman to be elected Dublin Mayor". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
2. "Mary to be city's fourth female Mayor". independent. 20 June 1999. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
3. "Lord Mayors of Dublin 1665–2020" (PDF). Dublin City Council. June 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
4. "Byrne, Alderman Alfred". Who Was Who. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2007. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u235369. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2020. (subscription required)
5. Seamus Enright (11 September 2016). "Inside Story: Vin's last innings". Anglo Celt. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
6. "Mary Freehill". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
7. "Details of Aung San Suu Kyi public event on Monday night". www.dublincity.ie. Archived from the original on 9 December 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
8. Finnerty, Mike (20 March 2024). "ANYTHING GOES IN KIMMAGE-RATHMINES". Dublin People. Retrieved 6 April 2024.

External links

• Labour Party profile

Civic offices
Preceded by Joe Doyle	Lord Mayor of Dublin 1999–2000	Succeeded by Maurice Ahern