Mayor Mike is quiet on renaming Queen Street

Bradley Bytes – a sort of political column with Dara Bradley

Mayor Mike Cubbard revealed some Republican leanings early in 2020 during the Black and Tans commemoration controversy.

Mayor Mike was flung into the national spotlight in January when he followed the lead of other mayors and refused an invitation from the then Fine Gael Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan to attend a commemoration of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC).

Speaking from the high moral ground at the time, Mayor Mike said: “Attending this event would be hypocritical of me as they directly opposed those whose lives were lost creating the free Ireland we enjoy today. History cannot be re-written.”

A united Ireland, he added, was “something I want to see happen”.

It played well with among some Celtic-jersey-wearing nationalist-leaning people in his support base, and he even attracted a swell of support from Shinners . . . although they returned to their natural Sinn Féin home in the General Election in February, electing Mairéad Farrell as a TD in Galway West.

Interesting, then, that Mayor Mike has stayed stumm about another issue that could have reconnected him with grassroots Irish Republicans in Galway.

Mark Lohan, SIPTU trade union rep and former Sinn Féin City Councillor, wrote to the CE of Galway City Council, Brendan McGrath, and Mayor Mike, late last year, calling for Queen Street, off Eyre Square, to be renamed Cllr Mícheál Breathnach Street to honour the man killed by the Black and Tans.

What better way to mark the centenary year of the assassination of the Galway Sinn Féin Councillor by RIC and British Army forces in 1920?

McGrath said the Council would look into it, which was good of him, and just before Christmas, Gary McMahon, Acting Senior Executive Officer at Corporate Services responded.

He said “unfortunately it is not possible to progress your request at this time”.

“Further consideration of this item would, in the first instance, require it to be tabled for discussion with members of the Corporate Policy Group and further consideration with the Coiste Logainmeacha (Placenames Committee).

“I will seek to place this item on the agenda for a meeting of the CPG during the first half of 2021,” added McMahon.

Not totally ruling it out and at least it was a response from City Hall. Lohan said he had yet to hear back from Mayor Mike on the matter.

(Photo: SIPTU trade union rep and former Sinn Féin City Councillor Mark Lohan proposed late last year that Queen Street should be named in honour of Cllr Mícheál Breathnach, who was killed by the Black and Tans in 1920. Mayor Mike Cubbard has yet to reply to his request.).
For more Bradley Bytes, see this week’s Galway City Tribune. You can buy a digital edition HERE.