Tell us what you really think, Ciarán

Bradley Bytes – A sort of political column by Dara Bradley

Our attention was brought to a presentation given by Sligo County Manager, Ciarán Hayes, when he was Director of Services at Galway City Council.

The 24-page slide-show was entitled, “Leading and Managing Teams at a time of Uncertainty and Crisis . . . Key leadership Attributes Required”.

It’s still available online.

Ciarán certainly knows what it’s like to be at the centre of a crisis.

He was the Council’s public face of the cryptosporidium contamination and lead in the water crises, as well as the initial PR disaster of the roundabouts changeover, and the city’s extreme weather events of 2010, and countless other high-profile problems to hit the city.

He was never far away from the eye of the storm when at City Hall – and while fire-fighting, he was often in conflict with politicians and media.

It was interesting then to read his attitude towards media and politicians, in comparison to public servants like himself.

“Remember,” he said at the Institute of Public Administration briefing.

“Politicians and the media: A mile wide and an inch deep.

Public servants: A mile deep and an inch wide.”

Shooting the Bree-ze  with ‘pussy cat’ Cllrs

Still on Ciarán Hayes.

Galway City Councillors were desperate to find out how Ciarán would get on with Declan Bree, a Sligo Councillor who is known to be outspoken.

Years of dealing with arch enemy, Galway City Councillor Pádraig Conneely, who he had several spats with, in the Council chamber, on the airwaves, and in print, gave Ciarán the training to deal with Bree.

Ciarán, we hear, has apparently told some city councillors privately that Bree, an Independent, is a “pussy cat” compared with Conneely!

For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.