Apart from older cities and corporations, which have had mayors for years, the position of mayor is only two years old for local authorities in Ireland, and is effectively a new name for the council chairman.
The mayor is elected annually, usually in June, by his fellow councillors, and he or she holds the position for a year.
The main function of the mayor is to chair council meetings, and, apart from this, the role is mostly ceremonial, from welcoming visiting dignitaries to opening new facilities.
The position does bring with it political influence, and is now almost a full-time office in many places. Many mayors take leave-of-absence from work to concentrate on the job. Often working closely with a county or city manager and senior council staff, a good mayor can be in a position to help steer and drive policy.
The mayor enjoys one political power, that of the casting vote where a vote by council members is tied. This can be important, as in the case of Dermot Lacey in 2002 when, as lord mayor of Dublin, he voted with Fianna Fáil in favour of refuse charges as part of the annual estimates vote.
The position can also be quite lucrative. In Dublin it comes with a car and a residence, but even in the case of smaller councils, the allowances can be quite generous.
A mayor enjoys a payment of anywhere between €25,000 and €35,000 which, coupled with travel, stationery and subsistence expenses, can bring the whole financial package to between €50,000 and €60,000.