Taxi customer counts the cost of Garda Christmas campaign!

Bradley Bytes – A sort of political column by Dara Bradley

The Garda clampdown on drunk drivers in the city this Christmas was universally welcomed by members of the Galway City Joint Policing Committee (JPC).

Chief Superintendent Tom Curley said there would be a highly visible campaign by Galway Gardaí to catch motorists drink-driving during the festive period.

Operation Surround involves a whole fleet of Garda cars targeting a particular area of the city, carrying out a series of Mandatory Alcohol Checkpoints. Apparently, if you are within the area targeted, there is no escape from getting ‘bagged’.

Frank Fahy, the former city mayor, testified that Gardaí were doing their job. Frankeen, a taxi driver, was on duty in his car on the Quincentenary Bridge when Gardaí swooped in one of their Christmas operations. The Fine Gael Councillor was pleased to see Operation Surround in action; and he gladly blew into the bag.

Obviously Frankeen wasn’t drinking on the job and he passed the test. But spare a thought for the customer he was carrying in the taxi – the poor divil got ‘stung’ for an even greater fare because the meter on his taxi was still running while he was giving his breath sample.

Cubbard’s Christmas cheer with Lapland miracle man

There may not be much Christmas cheer in evidence these days at City Hall, what with elected members still behaving like a bag of cut cats. And the claws were very much out in the Council Chamber this festive season – and throughout 2016.

But at least one city councillor experienced the magic of Christmas, albeit he had to travel 2,500 miles away from College Road to find it.

Mike Cubbard won a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Lapland, courtesy of the temporary radio station, Christmas FM.

And so, Mike and his family (his better half and two young boys) jetted off to the North Pole last Saturday.

Despite temperatures of between -9C° and -12C°, the Independent councillor reckoned it was a “wonderful place”.

As well as reindeer, huskies, sleighs, snowmobiles and go-karting on ice, and seeing the Northern Lights during the plane journey home, Cubbard got to meet the man himself, Santa Claus.

Rumour has it Mike asked the great St Nicholas to bring peace and goodwill to all men and women on Galway City Council.

He’s a miracle-maker, but even Santa Claus couldn’t tame that cantankerous crew.

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