Galway 2020 board member’s censure over ‘free wine’ barb

Bradley Bytes – A sort of political column 

As if Galway 2020 hasn’t enough on its plate, what with RTÉ Prime Time on the case and all that that brings with it, its board has another issue to contend with: a former mayor taking umbrage at “insulting” remarks.

A birdie close to the Board of Galway 2020 tells us that Fine Gael City councillor Pádraig Conneely has lodged a complaint to City Hall about a rude remark made to him at the recent official opening of Pálás, the city’s arthouse cinema.

The bould Pádraig, Chairperson of the City Council’s Cultural Strategic Policy Committee (SPC), was invited to the opening, as was every other elected member of the local authority.

While milling round at the Pálás, Pádraig was evidently minding his own business, when he was confronted by a board member of Galway 2020.

It is alleged that the board member accused Pádraig of being “against” the Pálás Cinema and suggested that the only reason he was there at the official opening was for the “free wine”, which, by all accounts, was flowing at Celtic Tiger levels of profligacy.

Not to Pádraig, however; he was slurping tea, not wine.

But Chief Executive of Galway City Council, Brendan McGrath, has apparently been called on to put a bit of ‘smacht’ on his loose-tongued fellow Galway 2020 board member who directed the barb at Pádraig.

Brendan could also set the record straight: any fool knows that at these city launches our councillors are more interested in free food, not cheap plonk!

The cat caught 2020’s tongue!

Councillor Conneely put the cat among the pigeons last Friday, when, in a letter to Council Chief Executive Brendan McGrath, he said Galway 2020 CEO Hannah Kiely should review her position. He also said he had “serious concerns” about Dr Aideen McGinley remaining on as chairperson of the board of Galway 2020.

Cllr Conneely’s commentary was among the items up for discussion at the board meeting of Galway 2020 last Friday, which lasted for around six hours. No doubt his ears were burning throughout . . .

For more Bradley Bytes, see this week’s Galway City Tribune