Galway City East Count - the complete results

Sat, May 24, 2014

Returning Officer Gary McMahon deemed Noel Larkin and John Walsh elected without reaching the quota.

Galway City Central - the complete results

Sat, May 24, 2014

Returning Officer Gary McMahon deemed Conneely, Fahy, Marley elected without reaching the quota.

‘The way people vote in local elections has changed’ - Mike Crowe

Sat, May 24, 2014

The way people vote in local elections, and their motivations, have, changed considerably, and it is a trend mainstream parties need to take heed of.

Galway candidates not at the Euro races

Thu, May 22, 2014

Galway’s two EU candidates are set to be no more than also-rans and spectators at a race which will be dominated by Ulster, north-Connacht, and Leinster politicians.

Galway city - voters to dole out punishment and rewards

Thu, May 22, 2014

Independents, female candidates, and Fianna Fáil stand poised as the main winners when the votes for the 2014 Local Elections in Galway city are counted this weekend; but Labour is fearful it could be reduced to just two councillors in City Hall.

FF and Independents to catch up on FG in the county?

Thu, May 22, 2014

Fine Gael looks set to continue its current dominance of Galway County Council, but Fianna Fáil and Independents are set to have a solid election and may even narrow the gap with the governing party.

Who will win and lose at tomorrow’s polls?

Thu, May 22, 2014

All of the declarations have been finalised for tomorrow’s ‘Galway County Council Local Summer Festival’ which will see 74 runners and riders go to post for what promises to be a day of high excitement for owners and trainers alike.

Could AAA’s Tommy Holohan upset the odds in Galway City West?

Thu, May 01, 2014

With three weeks to go to polling, there is much to play for across each of the three Galway city electoral wards. Poster campaigns are now in full flow and candidates are falling over each other for the affections of voters on the doorsteps.

No Claregalway Relief Road - what is Noel Grealish to do?

Thu, Apr 24, 2014

Back in 2008, an article gracing the pages of this newspaper appraised scepticism surrounding the ability of Galway West TD Noel Grealish to “land the big road” as promised prior to the General Election of the previous year.

Why Galway needs a directly-elected mayor

Thu, Apr 17, 2014

With the prospect of a directly-elected mayor for Dublin still a possibility - Environment Minister Phil Hogan said there will be no plebiscite in May but the four Dublin councils can reconsider the issue after the Local Elections - Insider contemplates what such a role could bring to Galway city.

Grassroots

Thu, Apr 10, 2014

As readers of this page are well aware, there are two elections due on May 23, the Local Elections, and the election to that most useless of institutions, the so- called European Parliament.

Galway City East - odds are good for a first SF seat since 2004

Thu, Apr 03, 2014

John Mulholland and Keith Finnegan recently discussed the bookmaker’s odds for all the local election candidates across the city on Galway Bay FM.

EU elections - why would anyone bother?

Thu, Mar 27, 2014

Seeing the occasional poster of a local election candidate advertising public meetings on various issues of concern, Insider noted that, within a month’s time, towns, villages, and the countryside will be radically altered as the election poster blitz takes hold.

Was it all worth it, Cllr Keane?

Thu, May 02, 2013

Last February, a motion was put before the Galway City Council that would see rowdy councillors punished for unruly behaviour by stopping their pay and withdrawing services.

Fianna Fáil - the greatest comeback since Lazarus?

Thu, Apr 11, 2013

Over recent weeks, despite the happy distraction of the St Patrick’s Day festivities and the Easter break, Insider has detected a sense of worry in people’s demeanour created by a largely unexpected development that has truly shaken them out of any complacency.

Colm Keaveney - the kingmaker the next Labour leader might need?

Thu, Mar 28, 2013

One of the most engrossing political sagas of the current Dáil has been the venomous relationship between the Labour leadership and the party’s maverick Galway East TD Colm Keaveney.

The defection of five TDs in the first two years of Government and a nosedive in successive opinion polls has left Labour leader Eamon Gilmore in an unenviable position and, under normal circumstances, he could really use the support of the party chair.

City to aid the resurrection of Fianna Fáil?

Thu, Mar 07, 2013

In ‘The Russians Are Coming’, one of the greatest episodes of Only Fools And Horses, Del Boy constructs a nuclear fallout shelter atop Nelson Mandela Towers. Then, after ruminating on a scenario for what might happen post a nuclear war, he announces: “The end of the world is the break we’re looking for Rodney.”

City to aid the resurrection of Fianna Fáil?

Thu, Mar 07, 2013

In ‘The Russians Are Coming’, one of the greatest episodes of Only Fools And Horses, Del Boy constructs a nuclear fallout shelter atop Nelson Mandela Towers. Then, after ruminating on a scenario for what might happen post a nuclear war, he announces: “The end of the world is the break we’re looking for Rodney.”

Insider was reminded of this when looking at the recent poll figures for Fianna Fáil. The further the recession drags on and the lower both public and consumer confidence drops, the more the party’s support level climbs. Remember it was Fianna Fáil (not Lehmann Brothers) that destroyed the State’s economy, creating the recession that cripples us now.

How do you solve a problem like county representation?

Thu, Feb 28, 2013

In his foreword to the document Putting People First – An Action Programme for Effective Local Government, the Minister for the Environment, ‘Big’ Phil Hogan had this to say:

“Local Government structures in Ireland have not been updated since the 19th Century. Consequently [the minister] has decided to review these structures and introduce more democratic arrangements, which will increase efficiency, make our political funding system more transparent, increase the participation of women whilst also introducing legislation to address conflicts of interests, lobbing procedures, and to strengthen our planning system. This will involve radical measures such as a substantial reduction in the number of Councillors and the number of Local and Regional authorities.”

Deal or no deal?

Thu, Feb 21, 2013

It was another dramatic night in the Oireachtas earlier this month as the former Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Nationwide were put to bed after the best part of five years torturing the Irish people.

E-paper

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