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Carna event to explore links between US State Governor and Connemara
Galway Bay fm newsroom – The story of how Joseph Brennan, the son of emigrants from Carna in Connemara, became a State Governor and a significant figure in American politics will be the subject of a video presentation and talk in Carna this evening.
Joseph Brennan also has the distinction of having appointed Senator George Mitchell, the former American Peace Envoy in Northern Ireland, to the United States Senate.
The Good Friday Agreement was signed in Northern Ireland twenty years ago with Senator George Mitchell from the United States a key figure.
But had it not been for a son of emigrants from Carna in Connemara George Mitchell might never have attainted high status in American politics.
Joseph Brennan was the son of emigrants from the parish of Carna who went to Portland in the State of Maine in the early years of the last century.
Joseph Brennan, became Governor of Maine and in that capacity he had the power to fill a vacancy in the Senate in Washtington in 1980.
He choose George Mitchell.
Joseph Brennan was also a United States Congressman and a member of the Federal Maritime Commission.
Now in his eighties, he lives in Portland, Maine.
History Professor, Michael Connolly from Maine will tonight at 7.30 present a film documentary entitled “Building Bridges: Connections between Joseph Brennan and George Mitchell” in the Emigrants Commemorative Centre in Carna -the area from which Joseph Brennan’s parents emigrated.
The death has occurred of the former Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora Martin Drennan, six years after he announced his retirement on health grounds. He was aged 78.
The Galway Diocesan Office confirmed the death this (Saturday) afternoon of the Bishop and Apostolic Administrator Emeritus, who oversaw the Diocese for eleven years.
Born on January 2, 1944 in Piltown, County Kilkenny, he studied for the priesthood at Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, from where he was ordained to the priesthood in 1968. His brother Michael is also a priest.
Following his ordination, he continued his studies in Rome where he was awarded a Licentiate in both sacred theology and sacred scripture. He returned to Rome in 1980 to become spiritual director at the Pontifical Irish College for the next five years.
He became a lecturer in sacred scripture at Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, where he continued to teach until his appointment as Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin in 1997 with responsibility for East Wicklow and South Dublin.
Following the retirement of Bishop James McLoughlin, Bishop Drennan was appointed Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh and Apostolic Administrator of Kilfenora and he was installed on July 3, 2005 in Galway Cathedral.
Outgoing Cllr Terry O’Flaherty (Ind) is on course to retain her City Council seat – and top the poll in City East.
With 33% of the boxes tallied, Cllr O’Flaherty is polling strongly, particularly in Renmore.
Michael John Crowe is ahead of his running mate Alan Cheevers for the Fianna Fáil vote, according to the early figures, although that could change when Doughiska and Roscam boxes are opened.
The Green Party’s Claire Hillery is on about 7%, with Fine Gael on 10% and Sinn Fein on 5%.
The opening of boxes for the local elections began at 9am this morning in Leisureland when the tallymen (and women) kicked into gear.
As regards the Galway County Council elections, the smaller areas are being opened first which means that the four-seater Connemara North boxes will be first in the pecking order.
It will be followed by Gort-Kinvara (5 seats), Connemara South (5 seats), Athenry-Oranmore (7 seats), Ballinasloe (6 seats), Loughrea (5 seats) and finally Tuam (7 seats).
The boxes in these areas will be opened and tallied in that particular order before being transferred to the Galway Lawn Tennis Club on Threadneedle Road where the counting will commence around mid-morning.
That is when the fun will really begin – although the tallies should give a good indication as to where most of the seats are destined.
As regards the city, the Galway City East boxes were opened first, followed by Galway City Central and finally Galway City West. These votes will be transferred to the Westside Centre by around 11am for counting.
There are 39 seats on Galway County Council to be filled with 18 on Galway City Council. The City Council count is expected to conclude on Saturday night but the County Council count – with seven electoral areas to be filled – could well go into Monday.
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