PADRAIG CONNEELY IS NEW MAYOR, DESPITE OBJECTION BY CLLR CALLANAN

Date Published: 23-Jun-2008

Outspoken Fine Gael Councillor Padraig Conneely is the new Mayor of Galway, holding the chain for the first time

Cllr Conneely’s one of the most vocal councillors in the chamber, and his fellow councillors are awaiting with interest how he’ll manage to restrain himself in the Mayoral chair

He was the first councillor to criticise city officials over the Eyre Square debacle which saw the contractor pull out half way through the project

Independent Councillor Daniel Callanan objected to Padraig Conneely’s nomination saying he was a very controversial character to have as Mayor, and he hoped this would change.

He was elected in the last hour under a long standing pact involving the majority vote of the Fine Gael, Labour and Green councillors and takes over from Labour’s Tom Costello

He was elected by 8 votes to 7, with the pact allowing him to succeed over Fianna Fail’s Michael Crowe, who was the Fianna Fail and PD supported candidate