Hildegarde bounces back in heated Mayoral battle

Date Published: 12-May-2011

BY ENDA CUNNINGHAM

Fine Gael’s Hildegarde Naughton looks set to bounce back in the battle to become the next Mayor of Galway – and could potentially strike a deal with ‘the enemy’.

While party headquarters intervened in the row between Cllr Naughton and party colleague Padraig Conneely this week, a second option has emerged which could see her ‘steal back’ the Mayoral chain.

In a dramatic turnabout, Cllr Naughton could win the support of the five Labour Party and two Independent councillors to secure the position of First Citizen.

This weekend, Cllr Conneely is coming under increased pressure from party members over what angry Fine Gaelers describe as “an embarrassment to the party”.

Under the terms of a Mayoral Pact agreed in 2009 between the three Fine Gael, three Fianna Fáil and three of the Independent councillors, Cllr Naughton was due to serve as Mayor for 2011-12.

However, following the election of Brian Walsh to the Dáil and subsequent co-option of Frank Fahy to the City Council, Cllr Conneely entered a separate deal which would see him elected Mayor – for the second time in four years.

Since our sister newspaper The Sentinel revealed that move on Tuesday, Cllr Conneely has come in for severe criticism for reneging on the deal.

Fine Gael Headquarters asked Deputy Walsh to intervene in the row on Wednesday, and he is set to meet with the three FG councillors this weekend. “The General Secretary has asked me to intervene and try to resolve the situation,” confirmed Deputy Walsh.

For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.