*Carmel Kirby. Photograph: John O’Neill
LIAM CONNEALLY’s exit from Clare County Council has resulted in switches among the senior management of the local authority.
Carmel Kirby had been Director of Physical Development with Clare County Council since joining in 2017 from Limerick City and County Council where she served as Social Development Director.
She succeeds Conneally as Director of Economic Development but will retain her role as Director of Services in the Ennis Municipal District. The Kinsale native was conferred with a PhD in recent years and is married to former Limerick hurler, Gary Kirby. Carmel officially took up the new post on April 10th.
Taking on the mantle as Acting Director of Services in the Shannon Municipal District is Siobhán McNulty. Based in Ennistymon, Siobhán has climbed the ranks of the local authority, including acting as senior executive officer in the housing section of the Council and most recently as senior executive officer in the West Clare Municipal District with responsibility for the Ennistymon local area.
On top of the Shannon MD role, she will also be the Acting Head of Physical Development with Clare County Council.
A full-time successor to Conneally in the Shannon MD and the Head of Physical Development role will be advertised via the Public Appointments Service.
Other senior management figures in the Council include Chief Executive Pat Dowling, Director of Rural Development and the West Clare MD Leonard Cleary, Director of Social Development and the Killaloe MD Anne Haugh, Director of Finance and Support Services Noeleen Fitzgerald and Acting Director of Services with the Ukrainian Services Development Jason Murphy.
Speaking at Tuesday’s meeting of the Rural Development SPC, Cleary confirmed that he is working with the Council’s HR department to fill the vacancy in the West Clare MD arising from McNulty’s move. “Liam’s departure to Galway has left a backfill effect which we’re hoping to resolve as quickly as possible”.
Last month, Conneally was appointed as the new Chief Executive of Galway County Council. He had been working with Clare County Council since 2016.
