Government and Politics
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1659 | 3,105 | — |
| 1821 | 59,045 | +1801.6% |
| 1831 | 66,554 | +12.7% |
| 1841 | 48,391 | −27.3% |
| 1851 | 48,785 | +0.8% |
| 1861 | 43,924 | −10.0% |
| 1871 | 39,353 | −10.4% |
| 1881 | 38,562 | −2.0% |
| 1891 | 37,155 | −3.6% |
| 1901 | 38,151 | +2.7% |
| 1911 | 38,518 | +1.0% |
| 1926 | 39,448 | +2.4% |
| 1936 | 41,061 | +4.1% |
| 1946 | 42,970 | +4.6% |
| 1951 | 50,820 | +18.3% |
| 1956 | 51,666 | +1.7% |
| 1961 | 51,732 | +0.1% |
| 1966 | 58,082 | +12.3% |
| 1971 | 57,161 | −1.6% |
| 1979 | 60,665 | +6.1% |
| 1981 | 60,736 | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 56,279 | −7.3% |
| 1991 | 52,083 | −7.5% |
| 1996 | 52,039 | −0.1% |
| 2002 | 54,023 | +3.8% |
| 2006 | 59,790 | +10.7% |
| 2011 | 56,779 | −5.0% |
The local government area of Limerick city is under the jurisdiction of Limerick City Council. This entity has the same status in law as a county council. The Council has responsibility for local services such as sanitation, planning and development, libraries, collection of motor taxation, local roads and social housing within the city boundary area. The City Council comprises elected ward councillors with an appointed full-time CEO as City Manager. Local elections are held every five years and the councillors annually elect a Mayor to chair the council and represent the City. The current mayor is Councillor Gerry McLoughlin. Former well-known mayors include TDs Donogh O'Malley, Stephen Coughlan, Michael Lipper, Jim Kemmy and Jan O'Sullivan.
In the hinterland of the city proper, many housing estates were built during the 1960s. These are in the local government area that is under the jurisdiction of Limerick County Council. These include Dooradoyle, Castletroy — including the University, Gouldavoher, and Raheen. A number of suburbs such as Westbury and Parteen to the north of the city are governed by Clare County Council.
The boundaries of the city were extended on March 1, 2008, when the Limerick City Boundary Alteration Order 2008 came into effect. This followed demands from city councillors for a redrawing of the boundary, which was deemed antiquated and inaccurate for modern-day Limerick. The order added an area of approximately 1,020 hectares from County Limerick, increasing the city's area by almost 50% and increasing the population by an estimated 7,000. The added area comprises the townlands of Clonmacken, Caherdavin, Knock, Shanabooley, Ballygrennan, Clonconane, Clondrinagh, Coonagh East and Coonagh West. The previous boundary, encompassing 2,086 hectares, was delineated in 1950.
For the purpose of elections, Limerick City Council is divided into three local electoral areas; Limerick East, Limerick North and Limerick South which elect four, six and seven councillors respectively . Fine Gael are the largest party on the council with eight seats, followed by Labour with four, Independents with three and Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin with one each.
For national Dáil elections Limerick City is in the Limerick City constituency. From 2011, the constituency boundaries changed in accordance with the proposals of the Constituency Commission and the subsequent Electoral (Amendment) Act 2009. This changed the electoral boundaries from Limerick East and Limerick West to Limerick City and Limerick. Limerick city encompasses the city, the suburban areas of Castletroy and as far east as Castleconnell. It also includes part of south County Clare. The Limerick county constituency takes in most of the rest of the county. For European parliament elections Limerick is in the South Ireland.
Read more about this topic: Limerick
Famous quotes containing the words government and/or politics:
“The powers of the federal government ... result from the compact to which the states are parties, [and are] limited by the plain sense and intention of the instrument constituting that compact.”
—James Madison (1751–1836)
“Politics is not an end, but a means. It is not a product, but a process. It is the art of government. Like other values it has its counterfeits. So much emphasis has been placed upon the false that the significance of the true has been obscured and politics has come to convey the meaning of crafty and cunning selfishness, instead of candid and sincere service.”
—Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933)