Louth County Council

Louth County Council (Irish: Comhairle Contae Lú) is the local authority of County Louth, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning and development, amenity and culture, and environment. The council has 29 elected members. Elections are held every five years and are by single transferable vote. The head of the council has the title of Cathaoirleach (chairperson). The current Cathaoirleach is Kevin Callan. The county administration is headed by a chief executive, David Conway. The county town is Dundalk.

Louth County Council was established on 1 April 1899 under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 for the administrative county of County Louth, succeeding the judicial county of Louth and the judicial county of the town of Drogheda.

Originally meetings of Louth County Council took place in Dundalk Courthouse. A home for the county officials was subsequently established at County Buildings in Crowe Street and both the county council and its officials moved to County Hall in 2000. Up until then administration services in Dundalk were separated into two different buildings, the former Louth Infirmary at The Crescent and in Crowe Street. This rationalisation streamlined services in one building.

Both the crests of Dundalk and County Louth reference the legend of Táin Bó Cúailnge. Louth traces its name from the Celtic god Lú. According to one interpretation of The Táin, Lú's son is the warrior Cú Chulainn, who it is claimed was born in near Dundalk, hence the fates of Dundalk and Louth are always linked together.

Louth County Council has two representatives on the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly who are part of the Eastern Strategic Planning Area Committee.

The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1919 introduced the electoral system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV) for the 1920 Irish local elections. This electoral system has been retained. The 29 members of Louth County Council are elected for a five-year term of office from multi-member local electoral areas (LEAs).

County Louth is divided into borough and municipal districts and LEAs, defined by electoral divisions. The municipal district which contains the administrative area of the former borough of Drogheda is referred to as a Borough District.

Councillors have regular monthly meetings both as a whole council and within their municipal district. Each municipal district elects its own chair, titled a Cathaoirleach.