Galway West
History made in Galway West with two female TDs
Galway West has made history by returning two women to Dáil Éireann.
Fine Gael Senator Hildegarde Naughton and Independent Galway City Councillor Cath erine Connolly have both been elected to the Dáil for the first time.
For Connolly, formerly of Labour, it’s third time lucky – she lost out in 2011 by just 17 votes and was beaten in 2007 also.
A former city mayor, Naughton was unsuccessful in 2011 on the four-candidate FG ticket.
Maire Geoghegan Quinn, the former Fianna Fáil Justice Minister, was the only woman ever elected to represent Galway West. It is almost 20 years, 1997, since the former EU Commissioner left the Dáil.
Fine Gael retained its two seats in Galway West, bucking the national trend which saw the first preference vote for the party plummet with many TDs losing their seats.
As well as Naughton, sitting TD Seán Kyne also held the seat he narrowly won ahead of Connolly five years ago.
Kyne, Connolly and Naughton were elected on the 14th count on Fine Gael John O’Mahony’s transfers.
Sinn Féin senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh was the last man standing not to be elected. He was ahead of Naughton before the final count but O’Mahony’s transfers pushed her well ahead of her nearest rival.
Ó Clochartaigh was about 900 ahead of Naughton before the final count but O’Mahony delivered her over 2,000 transfers.
Fianna Fáil’s Éamon Ó Cuív, who topped the poll, and Independent Noel Grealish, had been elected on earlier counts.
The five TDs who will represent Galway West are: Ó Cuív, Grealish, Kyne, Connolly and Naughton. That’s two Fine Gael, one Fianna Fáil, and two Independents.
Kyne, Connolly and Naughton were elected without reaching the quota.
The sitting TDs were: Cuív, Kyne and Grealish, Brian Walsh (FG), who retired due to ill-health, and Labour’s Derek Nolan.
Walsh’s seat has been held by Naughton and Connolly effectively took the ‘left’ seat off Labour.
With half of the boxes in Galway City West tallied, the state of play in the six-seater is:
Donal Lyons (Ind) 23%
Pauline O’Reilly (Greens) 14.75%
Niall McNelis (Lab) 11.89%
John Connolly (FF) 9.86%
Pearce Flannery (FG) 9.48%
Peter Keane (FF) 7.3%
John Crowley (Soc Dems) 6.3%
Clodagh Higgins (FG) 5.9%
Salthill and Taylor’s Hill boxes being tallied now
There is a tired old cliché about people singing from ‘the same hymn sheet’ – but despite their diverse political backgrounds, it could certainly be applied in the case of Galway city’s two new TDs.
Because Fine Gael’s Deputy Hildegarde Naughten and independent TD Catherine Connolly hold common ground when it comes to a lot of issues relating to Galway city.
For example, in the aftermath of the general election they both agreed that University Hospital Galway should be moved to a greenfield site at Merlin Park. They also articulated this view on the first day of the new Dail last week.
And, separately, they were both in favour of the provision of dedicated bus lanes throughout Galway city with the acceptance that there will be no outer bypass for at least another decade. Deputy Connolly believes that the current proposal is simply “a cul-de-sac” and should never have been progressed.
Left-leaning Independent TD Catherine Connolly and right-leaning Fine Gael TD, Hildegarde Naughton, both believe UHG is at saturation point and are committed to the development of a new public hospital at the larger, more accessible site east of the city.
This, along with the promotion of public transport initiatives to help end traffic chaos in the city, is one of the common policy objectives the two new women TDs share.
They are only the second and third women TDs ever in Galway West, following in the footsteps of former Fianna Fáil minister, Máire Geoghegan Quinn.
Pressure is mounting on Galway West TD Noel Grealish to join Fianna Fail as the party attempts to be part of the next government.
The Fianna Fail organisation in the constituency are now convinced that Grealish may provide the party with the answer to winning a second seat in Galway West. And the organisation are disappointed that veteran TD Eamon O Cuiv has not delivered a second seat in the last two general elections. If Fianna Fail assume power, it is very unlikely that the Cornamona man will have a place at the front bench.
The party organisation in Galway West are now anxious that Grealish becomes part of their fabric and particularly as he is a proven vote-winner.
Grealish is part of an unofficial grouping in the Dail who are currently engaged with the two major parties with a view to forming a minority government.
The fact that the Carnmore man has been a TD since 2002, it is likely that he could be part of the front bench in the next government if he agrees to become part of the support that Fianna Fail require.
It was revealed last week that he had been approached by Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin to join up but he was not to be drawn on the issue.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Families queue up for school’s offer of free house
West has lower cancer survival rates than rest
Galway minors continue to lay waste to all opponents
Gardaí and IFA issue a joint appeal on summer road safety
Marathon Man plans to call a halt – but not before he hits 160 races
