Wanted: 1 ‘City Cllr for general mayhem’ to replace Connolly TD

Bradley Bytes – A sort of political column by Dara Bradley

Now that Independent Catherine Connolly has been elected to Dáil Éireann, there’s a vacancy for the ‘best performer in the City Council’ mantle. If it were self-judged, Fine Gael’s Pearce Flannery would win hands down – he possesses more misguided self-confidence than he has neck.

Which should make his latest bid for a seat in the Seanad all the more entertaining. Especially with fellow self-admirer, former Progressive Democrats leader, Michael McDowell competing for votes on the NUI panel.

But back to the Council chamber. Local democracy will miss Connolly – even if the executive and many of her elected Council colleagues won’t – but she’s got bigger fish to fry now.

Best of luck to the next Minister for Health, being answerable to Connolly in the Dáil; she’ll make mince meat of whoever it is.

But who will fulfil her ‘holding the executive to account’, also known as ‘annoying the crap out of Council management’, role now that she’s gone?

The three Shinners – Maireád Farrell, Anna Marley and Cathal Ó Conchúir – have the potential to be a thorn in the side but are still settling in.

Fine Gael stalwart Pádraig Conneely’s bite is every bit as lethal as his bark. Not only would he be her natural successor, he’s so good at vexing Council management, he could even better at it than Connolly. He’s been vying with her now for some time as Galway’s ‘Councillor for General Mayhem’ but has been quieter of late.

Independent Declan McDonnell can get ratty if the executive annoys him or corners him. And the Fianna Fáil brothers, Mike and Ollie, have the potential to cause a ruckus if the Directors of Services aren’t playing ball. The latter’s ‘flinging a pen across the chamber’ moment a couple of years back highlights the potential the two Crowe Bros have in filling the pandemonium vacancy if they’d only put their minds to it. Of course Connolly’s replacement – believed to be Collette, her sister – had a good track record of filleting the executive when she was a councillor. They certainly wouldn’t relish her return.

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