In the Galway City Council’s local elections of 2019, independent candidates emerged victoriously by securing six out of the 18 seats and one-third of the overall vote. A total of 52 contenders partook in the election across the three six-seat electoral zones controlled by the local governance.
The largest party within the council is Fianna Fáil, which holds five seats, its competitors being Fine Gael occupying three seats, the Green Party maintaining two, with the Social Democrats and the Labour party both retaining single seats each. A multitude of issues have been addressed by candidates, such as young adults struggling to become homeowners, transportation problems, as well as the lethargic development of the N6 Galway City Ring Road even after over 20 years of planning.
Further challenges encompass improvements to public transport, focusing on schoolbuses and bus lanes, road and footpath conditions particularly within residential areas, the steep living costs, and the requirement for additional public facilities for example children’s playgrounds. A small fraction of constituents have expressed concerns over immigration.
Five out of the six Independent representatives are vying for re-election, with Colette Connolly of Galway City Central being the exception. Sinn Féin is striving to regain its representation within the council after its three councillors – Mairéad Farrell, Cathal Ó Conchúir, and Mark Lohan – were not re-elected in 2019. Farrell has since ascended to the Dáil, however, Lohan and Ó Conchúir are contesting this year’s elections along with Aisling Burke.
The council is divided into three primary sectors:
Galway City Central: 6 seats
Galway City East: 6 seats
Galway City West: 6 seats
The other elections to take place in 2024 include the European Election, the Dublin local election, Limerick mayoral election, and local elections in several counties including but not limited to Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork City, and Cork County. An EU&I Voter App has been launched to facilitate voters in the process.
Make sure to check out results from last year’s Galway City council elections and stay informed about the
latest political and public sentiment surveys. Additionally, coverage of local elections and European elections are fully available. Don’t forget to tune in to the Inside Politics Podcast. This includes the following regions: Waterford, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow.