Castlederg councillor tipped as new mayor of local council

SPECULATION is mounting that Castlederg councillor, Sinn Fein’s Ruairí McHugh, will become the new mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council.

The Chronicle understands that the Derg man will succeed current encumbent Lillian Seenoi Barr following the local authority’s AGM on Monday.

Forty-six-year-old Cllr McHugh has been an elected representative since the days of Strabane District Council, having been co-opted into the seat in November 2008 following the death of his father, the late Charlie McHugh, who was the first ever Sinn Féin representative on the old Strabane District Council.

Since entering local politics, Ruairí McHugh has been subsequently elected in each local government election and served as chair of Strabane District Council in 2023, just prior to the amalgamation with Derry City Council. On being elected, he vowed to be a ‘representative for all.’

Cllr McHugh is a former pupil of St. Patrick’s PS Castlederg and the Christian Brothers Grammar School in Omagh, before embarking on further education, graduating with a BSc in Politics from Ulster University.

Outside of the political arena, Ruairí McHugh is a passionate follower and member of his local GAA club Castlederg St Eugene’s.