Cork City Council · Ordinary Meeting of Cork City Council · 11 May 2026
A vote on a motion calling on the council to revoke the Freedom of Cork given to former US Senator George Mitchell in 1998, citing his contact with Jeffrey Epstein and similar steps taken by Queen's University Belfast and the US-Ireland Alliance.
Summary written by AI from the minutes. The motion as recorded follows.
Former US Senator George Mitchell has been proved to have been lying when he said he cut all ties with the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein after he was convicted. He continued to have contact with him and may even have met him. This Council commends the decision of Queen’s University Belfast in removing the name of their former chancellor George Mitchell from the Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice and also removing a bust of him from campus. This Council also commends the decision of the US-Ireland Alliance in removing his name from their scholarship programme. This motion calls on Cork City Council to follow their example and show we stand with survivors by revoking the Freedom of Cork given to Mitchell in 1998.
Proposed by K. McCarthy; seconded by S. Martin.
The minutes record: As those voting in favour of the motion were greater than those voting against, An tArdmhéara declared the vote carried.
| Party | Tá | Níl | Staon | Didn't vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fianna Fáil | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| Fine Gael | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sinn Féin | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Independent | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Green Party | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Labour Party | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Independent Ireland | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| People Before Profit-Solidarity | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Social Democrats | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
None
Tá, Níl and Staon are the minutes’ for, against and abstained. “Didn’t vote” covers councillors on the council that day whom the minutes don’t list under any option, for any reason. Parties are as of the meeting day.