The Green Party councillor Áine Groogan will be the deputy lord mayor of Belfast.
By Mark Simpson
BBC News NI correspondent
The Green Party in Northern Ireland has secured its first ever mayoral position after Áine Groogan was appointed deputy lord mayor of Belfast.
It comes as the party lost three seats in last month’s Northern Ireland council elections, including party leader Mal O’Hara in Belfast.
Seven of Northern Ireland’s 11 councils are filling their top positions today.
Ms Groogan said that she felt her election was symbol of “the new Belfast.”
She added that it was a time of huge uncertainty for many in the community and voluntary sectors, with Northern Ireland’s devolved governmental departments having to find £800m of savings to meet the new draft budget.
Ms Groogan said this will have a detrimental impact on our communities.
“I will use my position of deputy lord mayor to highlight the incredible work that these organisations provide for everyone across Belfast.”
She also said that the party’s agenda for the term focused on building a “greener, cleaner, fairer Belfast and highlighting the climate and biodiversity crisis that we all face”.
Sinn Féin’s Ryan Murphy has been appointed the next Lord Mayor of Belfast.
Sinn Féin’s Ryan Murphy, 28, has been appointed lord mayor of Belfast.
Mr Murphy said it was a “huge honour”.
Elsewhere, Mid and East Antrim Council has elected the Alliance Party’s Gerardine Mulvenna as mayor, with Stewart McDonald of the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) as deputy.
Image source, Mid & East Antrim Council
Gerardine Mulvenna of Alliance is mayor, with Stewart McDonald of the TUV as deputy of Mid & East Antrim council
Last week, two councils filled their top positions.
Causeway Coast and Glens elected Steven Callaghan of the DUP as mayor, with Margaret-Anne McKillop of the SDLP as deputy.
Antrim and Newtownabbey Council chose Mark Cooper of the DUP as mayor, with Sinn Féin’s Rosie Kinnear as deputy.
On Monday evening, six other councils are filling their top two positions for the next year:
- Belfast City Council
- Derry City and Strabane District Council
- Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council
- Newry, Mourne and Down District Council
- Fermanagh and Omagh District Council
- Mid Ulster District Council
In last month’s election, Sinn Féin became the largest party in local government in Northern Ireland for the first time.
They won 144 seats, an increase of 39, well ahead of the DUP on 122 and Alliance on 67.
