Galway Greens are keen on Saving Private Ryan

Bradley Bytes – a sort of political column by Dara Bradley

ongoing civil war in the Green Party, as members wrestle with their consciences over whether to enter coalition with the Civil War parties, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, is playing out in Galway as well as nationally.

Locally, the battle to replace Pauline O’Reilly on Galway City Council was a microcosm of the schism that’s emerging in the mainly Dublin-centric environmental party.

Moves are afoot to replace leader Eamon Ryan of Dublin Bay South. The revolutionary wing of the party is pushing for deputy leader, Catherine Martin, a Dublin-Rathdown TD, to take over.

Without over generalising, ‘Ryan-ites’ are pro-Government with the big two; ‘Martin-ovics’ are less enthusiastic about Coalition.

Galway’s golden Green, Senator O’Reilly, favours saving Private Ryan. And, generally, she favours Greens in Government – but not at all costs. Galway City Central Councillor Martina O’Connor is on the same page.

Of course, not all the faithful agree. That’s why the contest to pick Pauline’s replacement to be co-opted onto the Council was intriguing.

It was a straight contest between Niall Murphy and Stephen Strauss-Walsh.

Although she did not publicly back either candidate, Nurse Martina and chairperson Claire Hillery, would not have thrown their weight behind Salthill native Niall, had Pauline disapproved.

Niall was a Galway Green, and had canvassed for Pauline as well as for ex-councillor, former mayor and ex-senator Níall Ó Brolcháin in previous elections.

Although based in Galway, Strauss-Walsh (27), a PhD candidate at the School of Law in University of Limerick, and a law teaching fellow at Dublin City University, was seen as the outsider. That’s because he was nominated by two elected members in Munster – Claire Keating and Lorna Brogue, Green councillors in Limerick and Cork respectively. Stephen is pro-Martin, and anti-Coalition.

Niall hasn’t publicly committed but his win – an endorsement of O’Reilly’s pro-Ryan outlook – suggests Greens in Galway City West are in favour of entering Coalition.

The Greens have refused to divulge Niall’s margin of victory. It’s a pity, because if it was marginal, or a landslide, it would indicate what side of the Ryan/Martin Government/Opposition debate Galway grassroots members are on.
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