Tennis star Geraghty to smash and volley his way onto council?

Thu, Jan 29, 2009

Tennis player, author, and local campaigner Mike Geraghty this week announced he will be standing as an Independent candidate for Galway City Central in June’s Local Elections.

Greens hope they have a trump in Towers

Thu, Jan 29, 2009

Speculation is mounting that the Rector of St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church Rev Patrick Towers will stand for election to the Galway County Council in June’s Local Elections.

An inside look at local politics – from the pens of the politicians themselves

Thu, Jan 08, 2009

While Insider is consumed by politics - it is my raison d’être - music is also a great passions, particularly politically charged music.

Are the Blueshirts looking good for 2009?

Thu, Jan 08, 2009

Fine Gael appear to occupy a position in Galway city politics that Fianna Fáil and Labour must envy because the Blueshirts look set to emerge from the 2009 Local Elections without losing a seat.

Fianna Fáil know they will be lucky to hold what they have. Labour know they stand a great chance of making gains, but cannot be sure they will. FG has the advantage of knowing thier sitting councillors should stay put, but the party’s one dilemma is that they will find it very hard to pick up extra seats.

Could Packie Bonner be our next MEP?

Thu, Jan 08, 2009

Italia 90 was easily the worst World Cup in living memory. Excruciatingly dull games, foul play, cantenaccio gone mad, cynical holding out for extra time, and running down the clock for penalties.

A case of ‘almost...but not quite’ for Fianna Fáil

Thu, Jan 08, 2009

“Almost...but not quite” is how Galway Fianna Fáil might sum up its team for June’s Local Elections in both the city and county, with many candidates virtually certain to be selected, others still battling for a place, and the rest in the dark as to what party HQ intends to do with them.

What is the state of play in Galway city? In Galway City East the line up is virtually certain to be Cllr Michael J Crowe, Cllr Mary Leahy, and Sheila Mangan. Galway City Central and Galway City West however remain problematic areas.

Crowe brothers to the rescue for Fianna Fail?

Tue, Dec 23, 2008

“If I saw Mr Haughey buried at midnight at a crossroads with a stake driven through his heart, politically speaking, I should continue to wear a clove of garlic around my neck, just in case.”

Who is running in Galway city in 2009?

Tue, Dec 23, 2008

Once the Christmas and New Year festivities are over and Ireland settles down to the winter of discontent of the recession, local politicians will hit the campaign trail in earnest for June’s Local Elections.

Ford Ranger gets the Irish job done in South Africa

Tue, Dec 23, 2008

Ford’s hard working Ranger 4x4 was in service alongside the 2,000 Irish volunteers who helped build 253 houses at last week’s Niall Mellon Township Trust Building Blitz in Capetown.

The new BMW Z4 on the way

Tue, Dec 23, 2008

The latest in BMW’s long and successful roadster family has been revealed. The new BMW Z4 will go on sale in May 2009 and features a host of innovations never before showcased during BMW’s 75 years of roadster heritage.

Motorshow 2009 in your own home

Tue, Dec 23, 2008

The motor trade may be suffering right now, but that ill wind provides many great opportunities for car buyers. The 2009 edition of Motorshow Car Buyers' Guide is now in newsagents, complete with all the news, no nonsense verdicts, views of all the new models on the way, and all the knowledge you require to get a great deal.

The inside story of the city council budget

Thu, Dec 18, 2008

Now that the back slapping is over and political kudos have been gained by politicians across the board for a most courageous, progressive, budget in recessionary times maybe it is appropriate at this stage to ask some pertinent questions as to the political intricacies of its birth, formulation, and delivery.

Will FF convince Phelim O’Neill to run?

Thu, Dec 18, 2008

After months of speculation, fretting, and mystery, it finally appears as if Fianna Fáil will have two candidates to stand in June’s Local Elections in Galway City West.

For a number of weeks, there was intense speculation that FF may end up having to run just one candidate. However it is understood that this evening, FF officials will meet with NUI, Galway law graduate and young businessman Phelim O’Neill, to convince him to run for the party alongside Peter Keane.

Will Libertas candidates add spice to Galway’s EU election campaign?

Thu, Dec 18, 2008

You can almost see it - an Irish politician scolding his bold child with the threat of ‘I’ll send you to Declan Ganley if you don’t behave yourself!’

SF candidate wants to bring City Hall ‘into the 21st century’

Thu, Dec 18, 2008

Martin Concannon will stand for Sinn Féin in Galway City East at the local elections in June and wants local government and how it operates to be “brought into the 21st century”.

What we achieved in Brussels

Thu, Dec 18, 2008

Last week the Taoiseach and I met for two days with EU leaders in Brussels. We discussed a series of highly significant issues for Galway, for Ireland and the European Union. These included climate change, an EU-wide economic stimulus package worth some €200 billion and the future of the Lisbon Treaty.

Is Fianna Fáil about to cast ‘The Stroke’ adrift?

Thu, Nov 27, 2008

Fianna Fail conventions will not take place anywhere in the west this year. HQ is still miffed at the scenes at the Galway West Dáil convention in 2006 and will not allow local democracy to flourish until the ‘serfs’ have learnt their lesson.

Galway to make the election poster extinct?

Thu, Nov 27, 2008

Back in the 1980s - an era we seem destined to relive given the economic downturn - you couldn’t watch children’s daytime TV without seeing what Oink! called “grinning loonies in hideous jumpers”.

When it comes to elections I’m often reminded of that phrase. Stuck on every lamppost and telegraph pole is the (airbrushed) face of an election candidate, grinning maniacally at you, and promising you the world in exchange for your Number One.

Blueshirt anxiety in Galway City East

Thu, Nov 27, 2008

While Fianna Fáil struggles to find candidates to run in Galway City West, the ‘auld enemy’ Fine Gael is having a similar problem in Galway City East.

However there is an important difference. While FF is finding it hard to convince people to run, Fine Gael is getting plenty of offers but is having trouble finding anyone it thinks is electable. For leading Fine Gaelers in the city, it’s the kind of situation in which the term ‘an embarrassment of riches’ could be misused.

Declan McDonnell declares his independence

Thu, Nov 27, 2008

Cllr Declan McDonnell will stand in the 2009 Local Elections as an Independent candidate in Galway City East, bringing to an end weeks of speculation as to whether or not he would join Fianna Fáil.

E-paper

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