Bradley Bytes – A sort of political column by Dara Bradley

‘Go with Clo’ was Clodagh Higgins’ slogan during her successful June Local Election campaign to Galway City Council.

And that’s exactly what Fine Gael has done by picking her to contest the next general election in Galway East.

The city slicker’s conversion to country bumpkin has been quick for the Fine Gael National Executive member, whose attention shifts from her electoral base in Galway City West (the Dáil constituency of Galway West) to neighbouring rural Galway East.

That’s confirmed by perusal of Classy Clodagh’s glossy selection convention literature, sent to delegates in Galway East ahead of the vote last Sunday at New Inn Community Centre – apparently at a cost of €1,000.

There was no mention of where she lives (Salthill), where she represents (Galway City West – aka Salthill, Knocknacarra, Taylor’s Hill and Rahoon) or that she is a Galway City Councillor (she’s merely a ‘Councillor’).

It mentioned Athenry four times. She was “born and raised” there; was chair of the town’s tourism committee; and Prospect, Athenry, was listed twice as her ‘location’ in the contacts’ section.

The leaflet mentioned her sister, Lorraine Higgins, and included a photo of the pair together. But Lovely Lorraine’s political leanings (she was a Labour Party Oireachtas member) were omitted, and she was referred to only as “one of iar-Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s nominees to Seanad Éireann representing Galway East”.

Clodagh was a member of the “Planning, Transport, and Economic Development Strategic Policy Committee” but the pamphlet didn’t specify these were on Galway City Council.

She was chairperson of the Council’s Corporate Development SPC, but again the reader would have to guess which Council (hint, it’s not Galway County Council or anywhere in Galway East).

Galway City is not completely airbrushed from the document. Although it’d be hard to write that you were “elected Mayor of the City of Galway in 2022” without mentioning Galway City.

The only other mention of Galway City related to a pledge to make it easier for country folk to get to it. Or as the “vision” section of the leaflet put it: “Improving access to Galway City, upgrading roads . . .”

The leaflet mentioned she was married to Tom, a native of Dunmore (in Galway East).

A “wife of a part-time farmer”, who grew up in a “mart town” – that’s Athenry, not Salthill for those not paying attention – she was “keen to support farmers”.

Clodagh’s campaign, in which the selection convention literature was key, was clearly successful.

She topped the poll with 75 votes, 11 ahead of County Councillor Pete Roche, and almost double that of Niamh Madden (44), her running mates.

Getting through convention is not the same as appealing to the wider electorate but Clodagh’s clear victory is a timely boost.

Pictured: The literature that Cllr Clodagh Higgins sent to FG delegates in Galway East ahead of Sunday’s selection convention for that Dáil constituency didn’t mention that she was a city councillor and  that she lived in Salthill. It gave her contact address as Prospect, Athenry.