Eligible Eddie is spoken for – just don’t tell the voters!

Bradley Bytes – a political column with Dara Bradley 

“Hasn’t Maria a lovely dress on her,” asked Roscommon-based senator, Frankie Feighan to nobody in particular during a Fine Gael canvass of the city for Maria Walsh, the party’s second European election candidate in Midlands North West.

“Very colourful,” came the response from a bouncer-like party handler dressed in a dark suit and sunglasses.

Maria, a former Rose of Tralee, did indeed look fetching, in a mainly blue outfit, with a splash of red and orange. So too did Galway West TD, Hildegarde Naughton in a red and pink pinstriped number; and Clodagh Higgins, the party’s candidate in City West, in an understated but classy suit jacket and skirt. (For the record, all the men wore suits).

But it was another woman – Pam Richardson – who caught the eye of former County Councillor, Peter Feeney, who is now a ministerial advisor to Government Chief Whip, Seán Kyne.

“That’s Eddie’s girlfriend,” whispered Peter, as he pointed at a stunning, young woman in designer sunglasses, who was among the entourage following An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar down Shop Street.

Hinting that former Galway footballer Eddie Hoare, a Fine Gael candidate in City Central, might fare better if the electorate is under the impression he is single, Peter added: “His first preferences will plummet if it gets out!”

“Already his posters have been stolen for nefarious purposes,” added Peter the friendly farmer, painting quite a vivid picture of easy-on-the-eye Eddie’s mugshot adorning the bedrooms of adoring fans across the city.

Local politics

All politics is local. But not all local election candidates live in the local area they’re running in, according to the address they’ve supplied in the official Notice of Poll . . . For more Bradley Bytes see this week’s Galway City Tribune.