Gary acts again as Tom calls it a day!

Bradley Bytes – a sort of political column with Dara Bradley

After 40 years public service, Tom Connell has retired from City Hall.

The affable Director of Services, who was second-in-command on Galway City Council’s management team, didn’t get the usual big send-off, due to his retirement falling during the Covid-19 crisis.

“Sure you can’t have a party now, unless there’s only two at it and they must be living together,” joked one of Tom’s former Council colleagues.

Tom had one of the longest job titles in local government: Director of Services for Economic Development, Community & Culture, Water Services & Support Services (incorporating ICT and Corporate Services). Try fitting that onto a business card.

Though he was a bit of a procrastinator, which sometimes frustrated city councillors, Tom was an honest and decent public servant. Not a fan of the media spotlight, he quietly but diligently carried out his duties.

Asked to sum up Tom, one long-serving councillor told us: “He was down the middle. Sharp enough in his own way. Deceptive, in a sense that he may appear innocent but he was wide enough!”

May he have a long, happy and virus-free retirement – and a delayed bash when it’s all over.

Promoted into Tom’s role with the long-winded title is Gary McMahon, the Council’s press officer. Fittingly for the ex-actor with Macnas, Gary is now in an ‘acting’ capacity as Director.

Chief Executive Brendan McGrath has insisted publicly recently that he’s not planning retirement any time soon but with his deputy now out of the picture, it does beg the question, who is next in line to the throne?

Could former Director of Services, now Sligo Chief Executive, Ciarán Hayes make a return, or could Galway 2020 CEO Patricia Philbin ride out the Culture Capital storm and be rewarded with the top job?
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