The new Mayor of Letterkenny is Fianna Fail councillor Dessie Larkin.
Cllr Larkin has just received his chain of office from outgoing Mayor Gerry McMonagle of Sinn Fein at the town council offices.
Speaking to donegaldaily.com moments after his election, Mayor Larkin vowed to bring back Letterkenny’s Main Street to its former glory.
The father-of-four, who was first elected to the council in 1998, said “As much as the Main Street looks well with new lighting and trees, we need to bring its economic heart back.
“We need to work on bring back shops and shoppers and breathing new life into our town’s main artery.”
But Cllr Larkin ruled out recent suggestions that the Main Street should be pedestrianised.
“At times I would agree with it during festivals and the like but not in general.
“I don’t think we have the big name tenants yet to justify closing down the Main Street to traffic,” he said.
It is Cllr Larkin’s second time to be elected Mayor and he follows in the footsteps of his father James and great grandfather John G who was Town Clerk of Letterkenny.
Cllr Larkin said he was delighted to have received the support of his fellow councillors in supporting the election pact and stressed there was no division with his eight fellow councillors.
“I think there is a very small ‘p’ in politics on Letterkenny Town Council.
“We are nine people who work together for the betterment of Letterkenny town and I hope that continues,” he said.
Mayor Larkin also revealed he would like to get working on having a disabled playground set up in Letterkenny as well as to see the work of the Tidy Towns group.
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