Breaking News
Carna native to stand down as acting Garda Commissioner at midnight
Galway Bay fm newsroom – Acting Garda Commissioner, Connemara-native Dónall Ó Cualáin, will step down from the position at midnight.
Mr. Ó Cualáin assumed the position in September following the resignation of then Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’ Sullivan.
Since September, Carna-native Dónall Ó Cualáin has been acting Garda Commissioner as a lengthy campaign sought a replacement for outgoing Commissioner Nóirín O’ Sullivan.
Her resignation came as no great surprise to many and followed some twelve months of mounting pressure for her to step down from the position.
Acting commissioner Ó Cualáin, a fluent-Irish speaker, was previously a sergeant on the Aran Islands before becoming a Superintendent and subsequently Chief Superintendent of the Galway garda division.
In 2012, he was appointed as an assistant commissioner and two years later Nóirín Ó Sullivan appointed him as deputy commissioner.
Mr. Ó Cualáin had already been covering the commissioner role during the extended summer holiday period while Nóirín Ó Sullivan was on leave.
At the time, Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said it would likely be a lengthy process to select her replacement – but said he was pleased Deputy Commissioner Ó Cualáin was stepping into the role.
However, at that time, Mr. Ó Cualáin announced that while he would remain in the interim position until a replacement was found, he would not be putting himself forward for the permanent job.
Now, Acting Commissioner Ó Cualáin will step down at one minute past midnight, to make way for new Garda Commissioner Drew Harris.
Mr. Harris will be attested at Kevin Street Divisional Headquarters in Dublin in a private ceremony to be held just after midnight.
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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