Róis-Máire Donnelly (born 1995 or 1996)[2] is an Irish Sinn Féin politician who is the 85th Lord Mayor of Belfast since 1 June 2026.[2][3] She has been a councillor of the Belfast City Council for Black Mountain since November 2022. Donnelly is the first person from Ballymurphy and surrounding area and the first fluent Irish-speaking woman to become Lord Mayor of Belfast.[4]
Róis-Máire Donnelly | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Donnelly in 2026 | |
| 85th Lord Mayor of Belfast | |
| Assumed office 1 June 2026 | |
| Preceded by | Tracy Kelly |
| Member of Belfast City Council | |
| Assumed office 29 November 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Stevie Corr |
| Constituency | Black Mountain |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1995 or 1996 (age 30–31)[2] Ballymurphy, Northern Ireland |
| Party | Sinn Féin |
| Education | Queens University Belfast (BSc) |
Early life and education
editRóis-Máire Donnelly was born in Ballymurphy and is the daughter of Geraldine and Jim Donnelly, who was imprisoned in the H-Blocks at the time of her birth. She spent the first five years of her life living with her mother and maternal grandmother Rosie on Ballymurphy Road.[5] She attended Naíscoil and Bunscoil an tSléibhe Dhuibh and St Dominic's Grammar School for Girls before she earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Queen's University Belfast.[4]
Career
editDonnelly has volunteered for Integrated Services for Children and Young People in the Upper Springfield, Cumann Spóirt an Phobail, and for the charity Active Communities Network.[6]
Donnelly worked as an operations manager[7] for Active Communities Network, a youth and community development organisation.[4] She has been the chair of the Newstart Education Centre, an alternative education centre in the Lower Falls area of West Belfast since December 2025.[8]
Belfast City Council
editDonnelly has attributed Sinn Féin's community activism for why she decided to join the party. She replaced Stevie Corr to represent the Black Mountain electoral area on the Belfast City Council.[9]
She first ran for election in the 2023 Belfast City Council election[9] and was elected on the eighth count.[10]
She was the chair of the Belfast City Council Climate and City Resilience Committee.[11][12]
Lord Mayor of Belfast
editDonnelly was informed she would be the next Lord Mayor of Belfast a few weeks before it was first announced on 27 May 2026.[4] She was installed as the Lord Mayor of Belfast on 1 June 2026.[7] She has been described as the first Irish-speaking Lord Mayor of Belfast[7][13] and the first female Irish-speaking Lord Mayor of Belfast.[14][15]
She has made statements in support of the Irish language, the LGBT community, and solidarity with Palestinians.[16] She has said "the biggest issue people in Belfast face is the cost of living."[4]
Donnelly described the 2026 Belfast riots as "absolute thuggery" and said "I call on those involved in this violence to stop, and stop now. You do not represent Belfast."[17]
References
edit- ↑ "The Rt. Hon. the Lord Mayor, Councillor Róis-Máire Donnelly". Belfast City Council. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 Simpson, Mark (29 May 2026). "Fluent Irish speaker to become Belfast Lord Mayor". BBC News.
- ↑ McAteer, Olivia (29 May 2026). "'We have a huge year ahead': First Irish-speaking female Lord Mayor of Belfast excited to begin role". Belfast Telegraph.
- 1 2 3 4 5 McPartland, Conor (27 May 2026). "Ballymurphy's Róis-Máire Donnelly to be new Belfast Lord Mayor". belfastmedia.com.
- ↑ Adams, Gerry (6 June 2026). "Gerry Adams: Our new Lord Mayor owes a lot to Granny Donnelly". belfastmedia.com.
- ↑ "Cllr Róis-Máire Donnelly". Sinn Féin. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
- 1 2 3 Kenwood, Michael (1 June 2026). "Belfast gets first Irish-speaking Lord Mayor as Róis-Máire Donnelly installed at City Hall". The Irish News. Archived from the original on 2 June 2026.
- ↑ "Register of interests, The Rt. Hon. the Lord Mayor, Councillor Róis-Máire Donnelly". Belfast City Council. 19 January 2026.
- 1 2 Dunne, Maghnus (17 April 2023). "ELECTION '23: Róis-Máire wants to be a voice for young people". belfastmedia.com.
- ↑ "District Electoral Area: Black Mountain". Belfast Telegraph.
- ↑ Corr, Shauna (29 September 2024). "Belfast City Council launches first plan to reach net-zero". Belfast Live.
- ↑ "Committee details Climate and City Resilience Committee". Belfast City Council. Archived from the original on 14 June 2024.
- ↑ Kenwood, Michael (1 June 2026). "Belfast gets first Irish-speaking Lord Mayor as Róis-Máire Donnelly installed at City Hall". MSN. The Irish News US.
- ↑ "Sinn Féin Irish speaker named Belfast's next Lord Mayor ahead of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann". The Irish News. 28 May 2026.
- ↑ Kenwood, Michael (29 May 2026). "Incoming Belfast mayor will focus on Irish language, the cost of living, and violence against females". Belfast Live.
- ↑ McPartland, Conor (1 June 2026). "'I'm looking forward to showing what a Ballymurphy woman can bring to the room'". belfastmedia.com.
- ↑ "Lord Mayor of Belfast receives death threats amid violent disorder". AOL. The Standard. 10 June 2026.