World of Politics with Harry McGee

The two councils that cover Galway City and County have nominated independent candidates in the past two presidential elections, in 2011 and 2018.  In 2011, it was Mary Davis, then CEO of Special Olympics Ireland. She was one of the early favourites and actually secured the backing of 13 of the 34 councils, including Galway County Council and Galway City Council.

However, she quickly fell by the wayside, having been ambushed by questions about paid directorships. She should never have been. She was quite entitled to the fees. It was a very flimsy ground to question her credentials. But then she didn’t handle the questions well and that was her gone.

n 2018, it was the turn of the Independent Senator Joan Freeman, the founder of Pieta House, who again was backed by both Councils.

In fact, three hopefuls who made bids to Galway County Council were supported by different groups in the chamber.

In addition to Freeman, there was the Donegal businessman Peter Casey and the Cavan entrepreneur Sean Gallagher, who also stood in 2011.

Casey was the only one who made a pitch. Gallagher wasn’t present. Nor was Freeman, but her daughter Aisling made an oral submission on her behalf.

The votes divided mainly along party lines. Freeman won twelve votes, getting most from Fine Gael councillors and from Independents. One Fianna Fáil councillor, Donagh Killilea, also supported her.

Six Independent councillors voted for Casey, along with one from Fianna Fáil. All of Gallagher’s six votes came from Fianna Fáil councillors.

There were four abstentions, from the two Sinn Féin councillors, from Republican Sinn Féin’s Tomás Ó Curraoin and from Independent Michael ‘Stroke’ Fahy.

Nine candidates made presentations to Galway City Council in 2019 but only two were considered for the actual nomination by councillors: Freeman and Gallagher. The vote was taken a week after the presentations were made.

In fact, it was only really Freeman, as Gallagher had already secured his four nominations and told the council he was withdrawing his application.

Seven of the 18 councillors supported Freeman. She was proposed by Independent councillors, Terry O’Flaherty and Donal Lyons.

Pictured: Galway backing…then-Presidential candidate Joan Freeman at Galway City Museum on the 2018 campaign trail.