Bradley Bytes – A sort of political column by Dara Bradley

Galway Chamber, the city’s business lobby group, has a big year ahead of it, after a chequered 2024.

In January of last year, its glossy brochure, Galway Economic Monitor had a welcome message in from its then Chief Executive, Kenny Deery – or simply ‘Kenny’ as it was signed off.  In it, he referred to the European and Local elections that were to take place in June.

“I urge all to actively engage with the election process,” he said.

“We need to collectively challenge and understand what the Council candidates stand for in terms of the sustainable growth and ambitions of our City and County. Local Government plays an important role in helping with the delivery of plans,” he added.

Deery, according to the brochure, was looking forward to working closely with the Chamber’s membership and stakeholders to progress plans and ambitions.

Six months later, Deery was a candidate on the ballot paper for the Local Election to Galway City Council in Galway City West. Talk about ‘actively engaging’ with the election process! C’est la vie.

A bold, brave personal move by the Mayo man but arguably it was not in the best interest of Galway Chamber.

Galway Chamber’s unofficial remit was to cosy up to politicians on the City Council, to lobby for the best interests of its members and Galway as a whole.

But when you are a new election candidate, you must get down and dirty, and fight your corner to unseat an incumbent.

Deery’s barbs at unnamed sitting councillors did not go down well among the long-serving elected members at City Hall. They’re big boys and girls and will get over it. And things get said in the heat of a campaign that are not necessarily heartfelt – just politics.

But for Galway Chamber, having Kenny Deery launch thinly veiled attacks on sitting councillors a wet week after he stepped aside at CE, was not a good look. Deery also dragged the head of the Atlantic Technological University, Orla Flynn, into controversy by inviting her to speak at his election fundraiser. President Flynn later claimed she did not know it was a political rally.

So, Councillors will rightly be sceptical of the Chamber going forward. Perhaps they will be reluctant to divulge too much to Deery’s successor, Deirdre Mac Loughlin, lest she end up competing with them on a ballot paper down the line. It will certainly take time to build bridges, heal wounds.

And aside from that political fiasco, Galway Chamber was weak on the recent debate as to whether its members should endure a 15% increase in Commercial Rates.

A business lobby group arguing for a Commercial Rates increase is a bit like a trade union advocating for pay cuts for workers.

Yes, the City Council needs funding to provide services such as footpaths and street-cleaning and all the things local businesses benefit from.

But Galway Chamber would do well to remember what side its bread is buttered on in 2025.

Pictured: The decision by former Galway Chamber CEO, Kenny Deery, to stand in the Local Elections was a bold personal move but might not have been the best interests of the Chamber.