Mayoral pact teeters on brink as Donal keeps Cllrs guessing

Bradley Bytes – A sort of political column by Dara Bradley

There are three-legged donkeys more stable than Galway City Council’s current mayoral pact. Sure, the Fine Gael lads often can’t agree among themselves, never mind be at one with the disparate views of the Independents and Labour.

With such a kaleidoscope of different opinions in the ruling majority, it’s a wonder it has held strong for the past three years.

Particularly after it was thrown together, in haste, to keep Fianna Fáil – and the Crowe Bros in particular – out in the wilderness, in terms of chains and plum positions that attract additional lolly.

The ruling 11 (four FG, two Lab, three former PD now Independents, and two Independents) have clashed, and vote as they see fit, which is at odds with one another, on certain issues.

But on all major votes – including who becomes mayor, and deputy mayor, and on economic votes such as the budgets – the pact has stood strong in the face of goading and prodding from Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin and Collette Connolly (Ind).

Until now, it seems.

Next in line for the mayorship is Pearce Flannery (FG), with Independent Mike Cubbard earmarked to be his deputy for the coming year, 2017 to 2018. There appears to be unity in the pact over that arrangement, but there is trouble on the horizon for the following year, 2018 to 2019.

That happens to be the final mayoral term before the local elections, and Labour’s Niall McNelis – as per the pact agreement – is supposed to be the mayor, with Independent Donal Lyons his deputy.

However, there are mumblings of Donal’s discontent at that arrangement. Though he insisted on receiving a deputy mayor – as well as serving as first citizen during the first year (2014/2015) of the current pact – his colleagues in the pact suspect he’s not happy with playing second fiddle to McNelis.

They’re both fishing for votes in the same electoral ward, and in Knocknacarra in particular, and so there is a tension between them anyway.

“Sure, he’d give him nathin’,” said one pact member, referring to McNelis, who will go to every event he’s invited to as mayor in order to receive maximum exposure in the election year, leaving Donal out in the cold, with no major events to deputise at.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.