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Sean Gallagher places focus on disability as he pitches to Galway City Councillors
Galway Bay fm newsroom – A special campaign focusing on ability as opposed to ‘disability’ is among the action items which Sean Gallagher has vowed to highlight in the office of President.
The Dragon’s Den star spoke of his visual disability adding he has never been limited by disability, as he made his bid for the Aras in a presentation before city councillors.
The Cavan father of two told the chamber he has massive respect for President Michael D Higgins and is not seeking to be his replacement, but his successor, carrying on the important work he has been doing.
Mr. Gallagher referred to his previous campaign for the Aras in 2011 where he won a nomination from four local authorities to allow him enter the race.
He referred to the controversial tweet which brought his campaign into the spotlight stating it changed the outcome of the election.
The Dragon said he now has the courage to get back up and thanked the half a million people who gave him their number one.
Earlier, Marie Goretti Moylan made her pitch to Galway City Councillors in her bid for the Aras.
The Athlone native advised members she hopes to go to Trinity College in Dublin to study law, with a view to studying human rights at a later stage.
She said she has a particular interest in domestic violence issues and intends to conduct research in the Magdalene Laundries and other such institutions and eventually write a book.
Patrick Feeney is now addressing councillors with eight further pitches yet to be heard.
Tune in to FYI Galway at 5 to hear Mr. Feeney and Mr.Gallagher, and other candidates, speaking to our reporting team at City Hall…
The death has occurred of the former Bishop of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora Martin Drennan, six years after he announced his retirement on health grounds. He was aged 78.
The Galway Diocesan Office confirmed the death this (Saturday) afternoon of the Bishop and Apostolic Administrator Emeritus, who oversaw the Diocese for eleven years.
Born on January 2, 1944 in Piltown, County Kilkenny, he studied for the priesthood at Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, from where he was ordained to the priesthood in 1968. His brother Michael is also a priest.
Following his ordination, he continued his studies in Rome where he was awarded a Licentiate in both sacred theology and sacred scripture. He returned to Rome in 1980 to become spiritual director at the Pontifical Irish College for the next five years.
He became a lecturer in sacred scripture at Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, where he continued to teach until his appointment as Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin in 1997 with responsibility for East Wicklow and South Dublin.
Following the retirement of Bishop James McLoughlin, Bishop Drennan was appointed Bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh and Apostolic Administrator of Kilfenora and he was installed on July 3, 2005 in Galway Cathedral.
Outgoing Cllr Terry O’Flaherty (Ind) is on course to retain her City Council seat – and top the poll in City East.
With 33% of the boxes tallied, Cllr O’Flaherty is polling strongly, particularly in Renmore.
Michael John Crowe is ahead of his running mate Alan Cheevers for the Fianna Fáil vote, according to the early figures, although that could change when Doughiska and Roscam boxes are opened.
The Green Party’s Claire Hillery is on about 7%, with Fine Gael on 10% and Sinn Fein on 5%.
The opening of boxes for the local elections began at 9am this morning in Leisureland when the tallymen (and women) kicked into gear.
As regards the Galway County Council elections, the smaller areas are being opened first which means that the four-seater Connemara North boxes will be first in the pecking order.
It will be followed by Gort-Kinvara (5 seats), Connemara South (5 seats), Athenry-Oranmore (7 seats), Ballinasloe (6 seats), Loughrea (5 seats) and finally Tuam (7 seats).
The boxes in these areas will be opened and tallied in that particular order before being transferred to the Galway Lawn Tennis Club on Threadneedle Road where the counting will commence around mid-morning.
That is when the fun will really begin – although the tallies should give a good indication as to where most of the seats are destined.
As regards the city, the Galway City East boxes were opened first, followed by Galway City Central and finally Galway City West. These votes will be transferred to the Westside Centre by around 11am for counting.
There are 39 seats on Galway County Council to be filled with 18 on Galway City Council. The City Council count is expected to conclude on Saturday night but the County Council count – with seven electoral areas to be filled – could well go into Monday.
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