Fermanagh man, Martin Reilly really enjoyed his year as First Citizen of Londonderry -- a rewarding position, only recently completed.

Having held office from June 2013 to 2014, it proved an exciting time for the Derry City Council SDLP Waterside Councillor to serve.

“It is a great honour to be elected Mayor for any year, but a particular achievement to have been chosen to represent the City during its year as the inaugural UK City of Culture,” felt Mr. Reilly, Parliamentary Researcher for SDLP Foyle MP Mark Durkan, who handed over his Mayor’s chain of office in June this year to his successor, SDLP Councillor Brenda Stevenson.

“So many wonderful events occurred during my 12 month period including the first Turner Exhibition outside of England and the first Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann to be held in Northern Ireland,” acknowledged Martin, who was delighted by the huge numbers of people who came to the city, including 430,000 visitors for the Fleadh Cheoil.

Highlighting the international spotlight given to Londonderry, he added: “I really enjoyed experiencing the city grasp its opportunity to show itself off in such a positive light to the wider world.” Having suffered from Hodgkins Lymphoma previously, he certainly didn’t let the experience hold him back. “I was diagnosed in 2008 and had chemotherapy and while the initial treatment proved unsuccessful, ultimately a stem cell transplant saw the cancer defeated,” said Martin. He continued: “I completed treatment in Spring 2010 and have had no reoccurrences since thank God.” During his year as Mayor, he said that he got to choose a charity to support and “was delighted to raise £19,000 for Macmillan over the 12 months.” Born and raised in Rosslea, Martin mentioned that he “lived on a small farm about six miles out of the village itself.” A son of Jimmy and Roisin Reilly, who continue to live at the family home, he was educated at Corranny Primary School and then at St. Eugene’s College, Rosslea.

He completed GCSEs and A’ Levels there before heading to Queen’s University Belfast where he graduated in 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree in History and Politics. He then served for a year as a Students’ Union Sabbatical Officer after being elected by fellow students at Queen’s.

In 2001, he headed to Londonderry to work for the SDLP. “I became a Councillor in 2004 for the Waterside District and have been elected to that position since - most recently in May this year,” indicated Martin.

Only recently, Health Minister, Edwin Poots announced the re-appointment of Councillor Martin Reilly as a District Council Member to the Patient and Client Council with effect from August this year to the beginning of August, 2018. The Patient and Client Council’s overarching objective is to provide a powerful, independent voice for patients, clients, carers, and communities on health and social care issues.

In addition to his role as an elected representative and member of Derry City Council, where he serves on various committees within the Council, he had been on the Board of Directors of Derry Visitor and Convention Bureau. He also serves as a board member on the Board of Governors of a local primary school.

An only son, he has two sisters. His sister Majella Connolly lives with her husband Paul and their two children adjacent to his parent’s house in Fermanagh, while his younger sister Carmel and her partner Mike Baker have a baby girl and live in New South Wales, Australia.

Martin is married to Bronagh, an accountant who works in her native city of Belfast. And he says that while they have no children yet, they’ve “packed a lot into the six years of marriage.” Certainly the past year will have been a memorable one for Derry City Council’s Immediate Past Mayor and Mayoress, who enjoyed a “very busy but very exciting year” as they shared in a host of events.