*Carmel Kirby. Photograph: John O’Neill.
CARMEL KIRBY has been chosen as interim Chief Executive of Clare County Council.
Kinsale native Kirby has been a Director of Service with Clare County Council since 2017 and this week was appointed interim Chief Executive of the local authority ahead of Pat Dowling’s retirement at the end of December.
A permanent appointment is to be made in the first quarter of 2025 but in the interval Carmel will serve in a temporary capacity and for this month will work on a handover with Kilkee based Dowling.
Both Kirby and Dowling worked together in Limerick City and County Council, she crossed the border to Clare following his appointment to the top job. While in Limerick, she was the Social Development Director.
From 2017 to April 2023, Carmel was Director of Physical Development in Clare but was appointed Director of Economic Development in April 2023, all the while remaining as Director of Services in the Ennis Municipal District and serving as a member of the board for the Ennis 2040 DAC. The Ennis 2040 strategy and the shortage of parking in the county town have been issues to stir debate within the Ennis MD over the past twelve months.
Planning, economic development, local enterprise office and related support services of the Council across the county are delivered under the Economic Development Directorat
She is married to former Limerick hurler, Gary Kirby and was conferred with a PhD in recent years.
Kirby had been one of the front-runners for the post after Dowling announced last month that he was to step down. She was chosen ahead of Director of Social Development, Jason Murphy and Director of Physical Development, Alan Farrell for the role.
Her elevation has resulted in long-serving engineer Seán Lenihan, a native of Miltown Malbay becoming Acting Director of Service for the Ennis Municipal District. On Tuesday, he stepped down as Chairman of the Clare LGFA following a four year term which included securing Rengen Power as an anchor sponsor.
