Clare County Council has appointed Gordon Daly as its chief executive.

Clare native Daly has 28 years of experience working in local government across five different local authorities, including his home county.

He has worked with Limerick City & County Council for a decade as director of service and most recently as deputy director general where he was responsible for corporate services, human resources and organisational development.

Daly has led teams in the development of a range of strategic tourism and recreational initiatives in Limerick, including the award-winning 40km Limerick Greenway and the Limerick Regional Athletics Hub, an international standard public facility in Newcastle West. 

He oversaw the successful transfer of King John's Castle, Limerick’s largest visitor attraction, to the local authority-owned Discover Limerick DAC from the Shannon Airport Group in 2022.

He has also played a key role in preparations to-date for the hosting of the centenary 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor, Limerick.

Daly spearheaded the establishment of a Dereliction and Vacancy Unit in Limerick, which has brought hundreds of derelict and vacant houses and commercial properties back into productive use across Limerick.

He previously worked as senior planner for Clare County Council from 2009 to 2015 where he led the development of various strategies, including the Strategic Integrated Framework Plan (SIFP) for the Shannon Estuary and the first Clare Renewable Energy Strategy.

He is a past president of the Irish Planning Institute and a graduate of the Dublin Institute of Technology, the University of Gloucestershire and the Queen’s University of Belfast.

Daly was recommended for the position by the Public Appointments Service (PAS) in March. The recommendation then went before Clare County Council’s Corporate Policy Group (CPG) for consideration, and then to council members for approval.

Commenting on his appointment, Daly said he was "delighted and honoured" to join Clare County Council as chief executive, and thanked county councillors for approving his appointment.

"I also wish to acknowledge the very significant contribution to Clare County Council and County Clare by my predecessor, Pat Dowling. I look forward to working in partnership with staff, management, public representatives and all our various partners and stakeholders in further delivering on the potential and ambition of County Clare.”

Cllr Alan O’Callaghan, Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, said: “I look forward to welcoming Gordon back to Clare County Council in his new role as chief executive, an important role that carries a lot of responsibility.

"I am confident that Gordon will do his best for the further economic and social development of the county. The members of Clare County Council look forward to working with him in the years ahead to deliver on the key objectives of the council and wish him every success in this important role.”

Photo: Gordon Daly, CEO, Clare County Council. (Pic: Eamon Ward)