As the sun broke through on the longest day of the year, Cllr David Collins from Turloughmore stepped into the historic role of Cathaoirleach of Galway County Council—effectively the mayor of the county. It’s a role of immense civic pride and responsibility, and for Cllr Collins, it marks the pinnacle of decades spent serving his community.
“It’s something you only get to do once in a lifetime,” he tells me, still buzzing from the twin celebrations of his beloved Turloughmore's Féile victory and his own elevation to the county’s highest political post. “No, I never set out thinking I’d wear the chain. It just kind of happened. When you’re involved in your community, you don’t always see where the path might lead.”
From his home in Lackagh, where he lives with his wife Lorraine and their two children, Cllr Collins has long been immersed in community life. That involvement gradually translated into a political career that has spanned over two decades. Now, as Cathaoirleach, he is eager to see and support the full breadth of Galway County Council’s work.
“One of the most rewarding aspects of this job will be getting out and meeting the various groups and volunteers across the county,” he says. “I want to see firsthand how the council’s work is making a difference—and where it can do more.”
Major projects on the horizon
Cllr Collins assumes the chair at a pivotal time. The much-anticipated opening of the Dexcom facility in Athenry promises to bring over 1,000 jobs to the area, with many more expected through ancillary and support industries.
“It’s huge,” he says, clearly energised by the prospect. “It’s not just the direct jobs—it’s the sandwiches, the petrol, the housing, the schools. All of that adds up. But it also means the council needs to be ready.”
Housing, he stresses, will be a priority. “We don’t have enough zoned land in the right places. We’ll need to review that. We need to make sure people can live close to where they work.”
Another key site he’s focused on is the long-idle Galway Airport.
“That’s a big one,” he admits. “I pushed for concerts there a few years back, and that was really successful. Now there are expressions of interest in the site—submitted jointly to the city and county councils. My hope is that by the autumn, we’ll have a clear plan—whether it’s to sell it for development or create something that truly serves the region. What we can’t have is another decade of nothing.”
Planning with purpose
Planning permission has long been a contentious issue in rural Galway, but Cllr Collins is upbeat. He points out that 90% of planning applications are now being approved, a rate he attributes to a more collaborative approach between engineers and the council.
“We brought in the engineers for a big information session a few years back,” he explains. “Now they know what’s required. They’re advising clients better, and it means applications are more complete. Plus, we as councillors can keep an eye on things as they progress.”
Despite the positive trend, he acknowledges that many locals still feel frustrated when trying to build near family land.
“There was a time when planning felt stymied, especially with the last development plan. But things have opened up again somewhat, and the system’s improving. We still need to make sure people who are from these communities can stay in them.”
Infrastructure and resilience
If there’s a frustration Cllr Collins doesn’t bother to hide, it’s around delayed infrastructure.
“We’re getting choked in traffic,” he says bluntly. “The ring road, the bypass, they’ve been talked about for years. Galway city is suffering, and that ripples out to housing and jobs too.”
He’s already written to every national politician in Galway, urging them to push stalled projects forward.
“We have more TDs than ever before from Galway. Many are in Government. We need action now—not more studies or announcements.”
And then there are the storms. The west bore the brunt of Ireland’s most recent weather disasters, with Galway and Mayo accounting for a disproportionate share of insurance claims.
“We’ve learned that Galway is more vulnerable than most counties,” he says. “We need community hubs that are storm-ready—with broadband, showers, places to charge phones, heat bottles for babies. That can’t be something we react to. It needs to be in place beforehand.”
Cllr Collins is also prioritizing Safe Routes to School and improvements in disability services, both of which he says are under-resourced in rural areas.
“It’s the small things that make communities more liveable,” he says. “Playgrounds, schools, accessible paths. We need to focus on quality of life—not just big ribbon-cutting projects.”
He’s quick to praise the staff at Galway County Council, many of whom he says have operated under serious constraints for years.
“They’ve been underfunded and under-resourced for too long, but they’re doing Trojan work. The amount of stuff they deal with—from water restrictions to road maintenance to community grants—it’s phenomenal.”
He adds that the monthly reports councillors receive only scratch the surface of what’s going on.
“We need to get that information out to people. Because when they see how much is being done, they’ll understand the scale of what this council takes on.”
Despite the weighty responsibilities, Cllr Collins says he’s enjoying the role—and the people.
“I love the community aspect of it,” he says. “Always have. There’s always a new story, always something different happening. That’s what keeps me going.”
And what will success look like at the end of his term?
“I’d like to be able to say that we moved the dial on some big projects—the airport, the ring road, housing zoning for Athenry. But I also want to know that I showed up, that I got out to every corner of the county, and supported the people doing great work in their own communities. That’s where the heart of Galway is.”
For now, the chain of office sits comfortably on Cllr David Collins’ shoulders—but it’s clear he doesn’t see it as a symbol of status. It’s a symbol of service. And by the end of his year, he hopes that service will have left a lasting mark on the county he calls home.
