Bradley Bytes – a sort of political column with Dara Bradley

The King of Knocknacarra is not planning to relinquish his crown anytime soon.

Former Progressive Democrat – now Independent councillor – Donal Lyons has confirmed to Bradley Bytes that he will contest the next Local Election in 2024.

It is the first public acknowledgement that the City West representative is eager to serve another five-year term.

Dubbed the King of Knocknacarra, Lyons topped the poll in 2019, exceeding the quota on the first count and with a massive surplus to spare.

That followed on from a stunning performance in 2014, when he again topped the poll and gobbled up more than one in every five votes cast in that electoral area.

He was elected on the first count in 2009, too, and also topped the poll in 2004.

That’s four poll-topping performances in four elections. And now he’s going for a fifth.

In response to last week’s column in which it was noted that he had not yet declared his intentions to put his name on the ballot paper again in 2024, Cllr Lyons said: “Just to put you out of your misery regarding whether or not I will be standing in the next Local Elections, just to clarify: I will be standing.”

Lyons was co-opted in 1996 onto Galway Corporation, as it was known then, and jointly topped the poll along with Fianna Fáil’s Margaret Cox in the South Ward in the following Local Election in 1999, when they both garnered 1,007 votes each.

Though he retired from An Post last year, Lyons has this week put to bed rumours that he is stepping back from politics and confirmed he is planning another five-year term at City Hall.

That should keep Salthill cycling campaigners and political rivals of the massive vote-getter awake at night.

This is a shortened preview version of this column. For more Bradley Bytes, see the January 6 edition of the Galway City Tribune. You can buy a digital edition HERE.