Galway poet's suspension from Labour Party described as 'absurd'

Thu, Jan 04, 2018

Calls have been made for the Galway poet Kevin Higgins to be reinstated as a member of the British Labour Party. He was suspended 18 months ago after writing a satire about critics of party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Mairéad Farrell selected to run as Sinn Féin's Galway West candidate

Thu, Dec 07, 2017

Mairéad Farrell, the Galway City East councillor has been selected as Sinn Féin's candidate for Galway West in the next General Election, which is expected to take place in the early months of 2018.

Councillor Gabe Cronneely resigns from Sinn Féin

Mon, Dec 04, 2017

Following the shock resignation of Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh from Sinn Féin late last week, a second elected representative, county councillor Gabe Cronnelly, has resigned from the party as well.

The election is diverted, but cannot be delayed much longer

Thu, Nov 30, 2017

As the political temperature soars to levels usually only seen when we approach the end of a five year Dáil cycle, Insider has decided to offer the benefit of his wisdom to the main political parties on how they should approach the forthcoming election, which, based on recent events, cannot be delayed much longer.

Countdown to election - who stands to win in Galway West?

Thu, Nov 30, 2017

By late Tuesday morning there was little point in political anoraks hashtagging their Tweets with #GE17 anymore - unless they were tweeting along the lines of 'Well that's #GE17 averted then' - after Frances Fitzgerald resigned as Tánaiste, and spared the State a Christmas General Election.

Niall McNelis to run for Labour in Galway West

Tue, Nov 28, 2017

Regardless of what the fall-out is from any decision today regarding the future of Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald, and whether or not the State is plunged into a general election before Christmas, the days of the current administration are now seriously numbered.

Post-Brexit, Ireland faces many tough choices

Thu, Nov 23, 2017

While domestic policy challenges continue to dominate Irish political discourse, the sense that negotiations are reaching a crunch phase is pushing Brexit higher up the agenda. Insider however senses that much of the population, and even some of the political class, are oblivious to the scale of the challenges facing the State on the global front, and the painful decisions and choices that may have to be taken.

Galway councillor elected to Sinn Féin ard chomhairle

Thu, Nov 23, 2017

While Gerry Adams announcement of his plans to step down as party president was the main talking point from the recent Sinn Féin Ard Fheis, Galway city councillor Mairéad Farrell was elected to the party ard chomhairle, as the sole representative from Connacht.

A weekend of public meetings on pressing issues

Thu, Nov 23, 2017

The housing crisis, Ireland's natural resources, economics, and the European Union will be discussed in Galway this weekend at a series of talks organised by The Peadar O'Donnell Socialist Republican Forum.

Where is Europe going (and why you should be concerned)

Thu, Nov 16, 2017

Insider has been closely following the Tweets of former Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt, especially since the onset of the Catalonian crisis, often replying to and commenting on his pronouncements. So is Insider ‘Trolling’ the leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe?

Galway is set to grow – its traffic problems will grow with it

Thu, Nov 02, 2017

Insider knows Ireland's population is to rise by one million over the next 20 years. This will see Galway's population grow to beyond 100,000 between now and 2020. These predictions come from the North Western Regional Authority in its submission to the National Planning Framework – Ireland 2040, and these projections might be true, if planning applications lodged in recent months come to anything.

Echoes of Red October in Galway 2017

Thu, Oct 26, 2017

As we approach the centenary of the 1917 October Revolution in Russia, Insider has been thinking about the impact this event continues to have on politics and society today. It is especially relevant in the context of today’s polarisation of politics, so perhaps it’s a fitting date on which to paraphrase Karl Marx: “A spectre is haunting the world: the spectre of October."

Pauline O’Reilly to run for Greens in Galway West

Thu, Oct 26, 2017

In the aftermath of the 2016 General Election numerous politicians and political pundits continually warned, "There will be an election in six months". Some 20 months have passed in the meantime, with 2019 still being the likeliest date when voters will next go to the polls.

The figures don't lie - Galway needs an Educate Together secondary school

Thu, Oct 19, 2017

The notion of Galway as a growing city, a young city, a diverse city, is embedded in our psyche. Maybe it's that period we spent as the fastest-growing city in Europe. Maybe it's 18,000 students at NUIG, and thousands more at GMIT. Maybe it's in the stories we tell ourselves as we declare ourselves a cultural hub, a party town, a place to settle down.

Why teaching offers precarious employment, not a secure job

Thu, Oct 12, 2017

Last week, in the rare autumnal sunshine, Insider was sauntering across Wolfe Tone Bridge with a companion. On a lamppost we spied a Donny Osmond lookalike, with that synthetic cheesy smile, peering down from a Social Democrat poster.

It’s time to repeal the Eighth - women are counting on you to vote pro-choice

Thu, Oct 05, 2017

Since its introduction into our Constitution, the Eighth Amendment has been a serious issue of contention. For many years, women and men have fought for its removal and for reproductive rights in Ireland.

Varadker's calculated political decision to firm up middle class support for FG

Thu, Sep 28, 2017

As we face in to the winter of 2017, Insider cannot help sense that as each week passes we are much closer to a general election than many politicians and political parties would really like.

Galway city needs a pro-business candidate

Thu, Sep 21, 2017

As Insider spends endless hours each week sitting in the traffic, he finds it hard to believe the people of Galway, particularly those voting in the city, are so indulgent of populist candidates and those of the 'loony left’.

It is time the radical Left prepared for Government

Thu, Sep 14, 2017

The radical Left in Ireland has made significant advances since free market capitalism - which even had Insider fooled for a while - collapsed its own banking system in 2008. In that year, we were shaken unceremoniously awake from the long political sleep, which had fallen on the Western world since the fall of the Berlin Wall, by the sound of Allied Irish, the Bank of Ireland, and the rest of them, wailing at our windows for what amounted to the biggest social welfare payment in Irish history.

Can Niall Ó Tuathail challenge for a seat in Galway West?

Thu, Aug 03, 2017

Niall Ó Tuathail's official announcement as the Social Democrats' Galway West candidate at the next General Election is simply confirmation of what many political watchers had long expected.

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