Bradley Bytes – a sort of political column with Dara Bradley

Fine Gael has a problem in Galway City East, a former heartland that is no longer represented by the party on Galway City Council.

The unthinkable happened in 2019 when John Walsh lost his seat, leaving FG without a councillor in this six-seat ward for the first-time.

Since then, it hasn’t been able to convince a credible candidate to declare their intention to run to regain a seat for the party.

Former Dáil Deputies, Brian Walsh and Pádraic McCormack have strong connections to and loyalties within the City East area, and yet a candidate for the 2024 Local Election still hasn’t been announced.

With no newcomer yet declared, the party may be forced to go back to the future.

In 2009, Barra Nevin pulled over 600 first preference votes, around 7% of those cast.

A three-candidate ticket including Frank Fahy (396 number ones) and Brian Walsh (979 number ones) resulted in the latter comfortably taking the only Fine Gael seat in that ward.

Nevin, a pharmacist in Roscam, polled eighth out of 14 candidates in the six-seater, which was a creditable performance for a first-timer.

As a local spokesperson for the pharmacy industry, he’s been in the public domain again recently, including lobbying against Galway County Council’s proposed beach byelaws.

That has prompted party supporters to ponder once again whether he is the prescription to solve Fine Gael’s ills in City East.

If he held onto the 622 first preferences he got in 2009, and maybe added another 200, then Barra Nevin would be a contender for the final seat in City East.

This is a shortened preview version of this column. For more Bradley Bytes, see the March 3 edition of the Galway City Tribune. You can buy a digital edition HERE.