It’s been a great adventure, a great honour and privilege to be the Lady Mayoress of Cork in 2023-2024.

I can also say that we, as a couple, have survived to it! It has made us stronger but also set the ground for our relationship.

I was also totally new to cork. Now I think I have a better knowledge of the city of Cork and probably higher than most people I know in terms of community and other types of activities.

I was actually very impressed by all the community activities of the City of Cork. I don’t know if that’s a specific Irish characteristic : if I compare to Belgium – where I have been for 17 years, and France were – I was born, and grew up, we, for sure don’t have such a strong tradition of community life. It’s very interesting to see these dynamics and energy that come from people, to work together on many topics just to make a better city, really.

The French honorary consul to Cork, Josselin Le Gall, was saying that I had brought in some diversity. I had never considered myself as part of diversity, but apparently in Cork, I am. I am not originally from here, still not really from here, I have my French/Belgian/Polish accents and cultures: if that I has enabled opening up and bringing novelty to Cork, I’m very proud of it!

I have met people in Cork mostly through the Mayoralty process and I look forward to meeting all of you again through other activities in my private life as a non-honorary person, without the chain anymore.

Thank you all again for your support and not to me but especially to Kieran for the mayoralty for this year. Your support has been felt and needed and will be felt and needed again in the future.