The Irish Council of Imams is an umbrella organization

Umbrella organization

An umbrella organization is an association of institutions, who work together formally to coordinate activities or pool resources. In business, political, or other environments, one group, the umbrella organization, provides resources and often an identity to the smaller organizations...

 for all Islamic establishments in Ireland

Islam in Ireland

The documented history of Islam in Ireland dates to the 1950s. The number of Muslims in the Republic of Ireland has increased since the 1990s. although most of those are not Irish nationals.-History:...

. Its formation was announced in a press-release on September 15, 2006. It represents all 35 imams in Ireland, of both the Sunni and Shia denominations. The chairman is Imam

Imam

An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...

 Hussein Halawa (Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland

Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland

The Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland ' is an Islamiccomplex, including a mosque, in Clonskeagh, Dublin, Ireland. It is funded by the al-Maktoum Foundation of Dubai and has a Sunni orientation.-Formation:...

), the deputy chairman is Imam Yahya Al-Hussein (Islamic Foundation of Ireland

Islamic Foundation of Ireland

The Islamic Foundation of Ireland was formed in 1959 by Muslim students in Ireland. The society established the first mosque in Ireland in 1976. It also helped to establish mosques in other cities in the country. The headquarters of the foundation is currently at the Dublin Mosque and Islamic...

), and the general secretary

General secretary

-International intergovernmental organizations:-International nongovernmental organizations:-Sports governing bodies:...

 is Belkacem Belfedhal. The Council consists of representatives from Cork

Cork (city)

Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...

, Galway

Galway

Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...

, Limerick

Limerick

Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...

, Waterford

Waterford

Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...

, Meath

County Meath

County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...

, and Dublin mosque

Mosque

A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...

s.

A previous attempt to establish an all-Ireland Muslim council, similar to the Muslim Council of Britain

Muslim Council of Britain

The Muslim Council of Britain is a self-appointed umbrella body for national, regional, local and specialist organisations and institutions from different ethnic and sectarian backgrounds within British Islamic society. It was established in 1997 to help Muslims, to increase education about the...

 was the Supreme Muslim Council of Ireland by a controversial Shaheed Satardien.

Among the first actions was the setting of a common date for Ramadan

Ramadan

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...

for all Irish Muslims and non-Irish Muslims living in Ireland.

However the imposition of a Ramadan date based solely on astronomical calculations has been widely contested by those who only believe in visual observation of the moon,to determine the new Islamic month,as well as questioning the unelected and unrepresentative nature of the Council.