Bradley Bytes – A sort of political column by Dara Bradley

Oh, how we laughed when Michael McDowell suggested Ireland should embrace a café culture. Peering up from our pints at bar counters in watering holes across the land, we scoffed at the naivety of the then Progressive Democrats leader.

In Ireland we drink pints. And tea. But mostly pints. ‘Now feck off with your notions,’ Micky, we dribbled, amid our boozy binges.

That was circa 2005. When lager louts outnumbered latte lovers by about a million to one.

And now look at us – Galway City Council is offering grants of up to €2,000 to city and Salthill cafes to stay open late, to foster a café culture.

He may never have managed to deliver that Claregalway Bypass, but for Café Culture, Micky Mac was ahead of his time.

Cico decentralisation means more meetings

Galway City Council’s new Chief Executive, Leonard Cleary is introducing area meetings, to take hyperlocal business out of the Council’s main monthly meetings.

The public and media will be invited to attend the meetings, which will take place every quarter or every two months for each of the city’s three areas.

This will give all six councillors in City East, City West and City Central time and space to discuss issues that are relevant to their area only, leaving big-ticket items for discussion and approval at the monthly meetings.

It works in the county, where Municipal Districts have area meetings for Loughrea, Tuam, Ballinasloe, Loughrea and Conamara, separate to plenary meetings which all councillors attend.

It’ll mean more work for Council administrative staff, the councillors, and media organisations such as this one, tasked with covering them, but ultimately should be better for local democracy.

Pictured: Former PD leader Michael McDowell might not have delivered the Claregalway Bypass, but he was ahead of the game on Café Culture.