Áine Smith takes chair of Cavan Belturbet District

Belturbet's Brendan Fay appointed vice-chair.

Fianna Fáil's Áine Smith has been appointed chair of the Cavan Belturbet Municipal District at an AGM this morning.

Her elevation comes less than four months after she was co-opted on to the Cavan County Council seat previously held by her late father Seán who passed away last January following an illness.

Cllr Áine Smith, who is also the niece of Deputy Brendan Smith, took over the chair from party colleague Patricia Walsh; meanwhile Independent Councillor Brendan Fay was appointed vice chair of the MD.

An Irish secondary school teacher in St Mogue's College, Cllr Smith is the third generation of her family to sit on Cavan County Council. Her co-option last March brought to five the number of female representatives sitting on the local authority out of 18 councillors (27.8%).

Cllr Smith was selected by the Fianna Fáil party, uncontested, in early March to take the seat of her late father.

She will retain the seat until the next local election when she must stand for election.