Bradley Bytes – a sort of political column with Dara Bradley

In March 2011, Nuala Nolan was co-opted onto Galway City Council to represent the City East ward.

She replaced her namesake, Derek Nolan as a city councillor; he progressed on to Dáil Éireann after topping the poll in the General Election some weeks previous.

Our Nuala was anointed after a stiff selection convention contest where she saw off a number of challengers for the position.

When asked about his replacement, Derek Nolan’s stock answer about Nuala Nolan was always: “No relation.”

But it turns out that is not strictly true!

Our Nuala, who has since defected to Aontú, tells us that an immediate family member of Derek’s (who was reunited with his Labour buddy, Councillor Níall McNelis, at party stalwart John McDonagh’s wedding recently) has taken a DNA test. And it has produced some interesting results.

It turns out that Derek and Nuala “come up as a match; fourth cousins”, she said.

This, according to Our Nuala, was “hardly surprising”, despite Derek’s previous protestations, “given that both our parents come from Ballyloughane” in Renmore.

She said that ‘No Relation Derek’ may be “surprised” by the results but added: “DNA does not lie, for sure.”

In fairness, there is a resemblance between the two. Christmas round the Nolans’ should be fun!

(Photo: Long-lost cousins, Nuala Nolan and Derek Nolan. Nuala was co-opted onto Galway City Council in 2011 to replace Derek when he was elected a TD. Derek, who now lives in Australia always stated that they weren’t related but a DNA test shows they are).

This is a shortened preview version of this article. For more Bradley Bytes, see the August 12 edition of the Galway City Tribune. You can buy a digital edition HERE.