#Elections2019: Mary Rose Desmond becomes first sitting county councillor to be elected in the newly-expanded City Council

Fianna Fáil councillor Mary Rose Desmond has made history after becoming the first sitting county councillor to be elected in the newly-expanded Cork City Council.

She was elected on the sixth count in the Cork South-East local electoral area (LEA), receiving 2,294 votes. She is the second councillor elected to the LEA after Fine Gael’s Des Cahill.

Ms Desmond, who was previously a member of Cork County Council, had to fight for a seat in the city council after her home base of Douglas became part of the new city boundary, which is due to take effect next week.

“The boundary change was a challenge and a worry, so I’m ecstatic to be the first county councillor over the line,” she said.

I was nervous to be saying anything about support on the ground, but I have to say the feedback has been very positive all the way. Now, that said, the nerves were still shot as the boxes were being opened yesterday.

“It was very much an unknown going in this time, so I’m very relieved, it’s a good day. It’ll be different demographically, but I have good connections with some of the old city area. I’ve done a lot of work down in the lower Harbour and Passage, and I suppose that’ll shift now, certainly into working in areas like Togher, Leghnamore and Blackrock/Mahon. People’s issues are similar, and the focus now will be on getting to work.”