Term length One year Deputy Jim McKeever | Inaugural holder John Rowley Website Council Website | |
Appointer Derry and Strabane District Council Formation 1604 (as Provost)
1613 (as Mayor) | ||
The Mayor of Derry, legally the Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council is an honorary position bestowed upon a citizen of Derry in Northern Ireland, who is in practice a member of Derry and Strabane District Council, chosen by his or her peers on the Council to serve a one-year term. The Mayor is Chairman of the Council as well as the city's first citizen. The current Mayor is Hilary McClintock of the Democratic Unionist Party.
The post has a long history. A provost, Sir Henry Docwra, was appointed in the initial city charter of 1604 by James I. In 1613, this post was replaced with that of governor, or mayor, with John Rowley being the first to serve. The City charter of 1665 which provided:
During much of its history, it has been held by unionists (largely due to the practice of gerrymandering), but in recent years, the majority of mayors have been Irish nationalists, reflecting the majority of the city's population.
From 1921 until 1969, the Mayor was automatically entitled to a seat in the Senate of Northern Ireland.