Christopher O’Sullivan (37) will be swapping the mayoral chains of Cork County Council for Dáil Éireann after he took the second seat in Cork South West.

Son of former TD Christy, O’Sullivan topped the poll in his Skibbereen West area in last year’s local elections, having first been co-opted onto the council back in 2007 when his father entered the Dáil. Within weeks of his win last year he became county mayor.

A law, politics and Spanish graduate from University College Cork, the Clonakilty native has been vocal on environmental issues, voicing his opposition to the now-scrapped proposal for a plastics factory in Skibbereen and stressing the need for more greenways and native woodland. An Aston Villa fan, he’s also a keen birdwatcher and a guide with a whale watching company in Courtmacsherry. Ahead of his successful general election campaign he expressed an interest in the tourism, sport and environmental portfolios.