Lannach is a small farming village in County Cork, Ireland. It’s also the name of the local Gaelic football team.
It’s similar to other Irish communities but has one noteworthy distinction: its mayor, Paddy McCarthy. The title was first bestowed on McCarthy by King George V in 1916 during World War I as an honorary gesture to the Irish citizens who had taken up arms for their country.
McCarthy is now one of only 11 mayors remaining worldwide; his term will expire after he turns 112 years old next year (2019).
He hasn’t voted since 1948 and hasn’t left his house for the past six years. On July 4 of this year, he attended an inaugural parade to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
The walk was not long enough for him so he spent the last part on a bench to catch his breath and to tie his shoelaces.
Here is the answer for, who is the mayor of lannach?
McCarthy is largely unmoved by modern political discourse. He doesn’t count on his local electoral support so he doesn’t campaign. He declined an interview request for this story.
He has declined to offer any assessments of his own performance as mayor, but he did note that the community has “grown and prospered and we’ve had a good number of well-being in the area and we like it like that,” he said in an interview last year.
“It’s working well for us, we like it like that and we don’t want any changes or things altered or whatever. We like it like this.”
1. It’s an honorary title, but that doesn’t mean that McCarthy can’t use it.
He was first given the title after he helped the villagers during a time of severe food shortages. Most of the work he did revolved around selling potatoes in the neighboring towns.
He even earned a pardon from the British military, which was a huge coup for a man who was not a native English speaker.
2. It’s not clear what exactly the title is meant to symbolize.
The most common legend, however, has it that McCarthy was given the title because he was unique at that time. He had black hair and black eyebrows during his time, which made him seem different than his fellow villagers.
3. It includes some unique responsibilities.
Not only does he represent his community during official meetings with other mayors, he also has the power to pardon criminals there although whether or not this would be used is still up for debate (a fact that seems to bother McCarthy’s neighbors).
He can also appoint a deputy, usually a fellow villager who is willing to serve in the position.
4. One of his challenges is actually just living up to his title.
When he was first given the honor, there were numerous people who thought it would be impossible for him to fill the role and demanded that he step down immediately. He did not, and proved everyone wrong by turning into a beloved and well-respected member of his community.
5. He’s not in charge in any official capacity.
Even an actual mayor in the traditional sense, for that matter. At its most basic level, the title exists to reward public service.
There are no official duties or requirements for it, which means that McCarthy doesn’t have to do anything special to hold on to the title if he doesn’t want to and it looks like he doesn’t want to at this point.`
6. He’s been encouraging everyone else to give up the title as well.
Not just because it’s too much work, but also because he thinks it gives the wrong impression. In fact, he once called out an official city councilor named Tom Connew for suggesting that he stay on until next year; Connew later apologized for his remarks and said that he didn’t mean to offend anyone (he eventually gave up the title himself).
7. Although his successor is still a mystery.
McCarthy has already chosen someone who will fight to uphold the tradition of the office: his grandson, Michael Cremin. Cremin has no official training, but he is familiar with the Irish language and has been part of the village almost as long as his grandfather.
He stands a good chance of becoming the next mayor, as long as he’s willing to take over for what will probably be a very short term.
8. He’s not alone in his work.
A woman named Teresa Mannion also used to carry out similar duties: she was known locally as the “Lord Mayor,” and unlike her male counterpart, she had actual powers that came with the title (although it was still mostly honorary). She was a public servant in a more traditional sense before she lost her job in 2009.
