Breaking News
Early speculation on who will fill empty city council seat
Galway Bay fm newsroom – New Galway Senator Hildegarde Naughton has taken her seat in the Seanad just three days since she was appointed
The former Mayor of Galway and former Fine Gael city councillor was nominated by the Taoiseach on Friday to replace Dr Martin McAleese who resigned his seat earlier this year
Her appointment has been widely seen as a revenge strike by Enda Kenny
The 36-year-old primary school teacher is expected to be on the Galway West Fine Gael ticket since stalwarts Deputy Brian Walsh and Senator Fidelma Healy Eames were expelled from the party for opposing the abortion laws
Speaking in the Seanad this afternoon, Senator Healy Eames said both she and Hildegarde share important local ties in their native Galway
Senator Naughton’s appointment didn’t find favour with Senator David Norris because during the Presidential Campaign, as Mayor of Galway, she denied him the right to address councillors
Among Senator Naughton’s first actions will be votes on the abolition of the Seanad tomorrow and the debate on the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill
Away from Leinster House the Fine Gael focus in Galway will be the filling of her seat on the city council
Given the quick and shock nature of her elevation to the Seanad the party locally has no firm decisions made as yet
The new member will have to be co-opted to the Council, but it’s unlikely a person will have been selected by the time the Council reconvenes at the beginning of September.
Hildegarde Naughton, who was elected to the Council in 2009 and served as Mayor of Galway in 2011, represented Galway City West.
Mayor of Galway Padraig Conneely says local branches in that ward will probably now invite expressions of interest in the seat.
Former Councillor and Mayor of Galway, John Mulholland has not ruled out a return to politics if approached.
Hildegarde Naughton says that it’s very early days to suggest anyone who could replace her on the City Council
The nomination of Hildegarde Naughton to the Seanad will be an upset for Galway West T.D and former party colleague, Brian Walsh.
Brian was expelled from the party last week for voting against the Government’s Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill.
Hildegarde says she intends to run on the Fine Gael ticket in the next General Election, while Brian Walsh would have to run as an independent.
Hildegarde’s profile will be significantly boosted following her appointment to the Seanad and that’s likely to impact on Brian Walsh’s voter base in the city.
She says securing a seat in Dáil Éireann has always been her goal
It’s likely a selection convention will be held in September to choose a person to go forward at the October meeting of the City Council to be co-opted into Hildegarde’s seat
However, the 15 City Council seats will be up for contest when the local elections take place next year
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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