Henry Street Playground has been officially named in honour of the first female Mayor of Galway.

Councillor Mary Byrne (1917-2004) was also a resident of Henry Street.

The new name was unveiled by former Mayor of the City of Galway, Cllr Peter Keane, at a ceremony last Friday attended by Mary Byrne’s family and local residents.

Also there was Leonard Cleary, Chief Executive of Galway City Council; elected members of Galway City Council and Galway County Council; Hildegarde Naughton TD, Minister of State at the Department of Children, Disability and Equality’ and Catherine Connolly TD.

Mary Byrne was the Mayor of Galway from 1975 to 1976 and again from 1984 to 1985. She lived all her life in Galway City Central — in Henry Street and in St Mary’s Road — and attended the local Presentation Primary School and Taylor’s Hill Secondary School.

She trained as a nurse in the city’s old Central Hospital and later worked at Galway Regional Hospital, becoming a Sister, and working in the Casualty Department for 22 years.

A member of the Western Health Board from 1970 to 1988 representing General Nurses, she served as Chairperson of the Galway Branch of the Irish Nurses Organisation as well as being a member of its National Executive for many years

Mary Byrne was an active member of Fianna Fáil from the 1940s and successfully ran for election to Galway Corporation in 1967, serving eighteen years as a Councillor.

She was the first woman ever to run for Fianna Fáil in the West Galway Constituency in a General Election when she was selected as the running mate for Johnny Geoghegan and Bobby Molloy in the 1969 General Election.

She created history on June 30, 1975, when she became the first woman to be elected Mayor of the City of Galway. Her first term of office coincided with International Women’s Year.

She was re-elected for the term 1984–1985, the Quincentennial year of the Mayoralty.

During a long career in public life, she served on several Boards including Comhairle na nOspidéal and the City of Galway VEC (now GRETB). She was heavily involved in the committees looking after orphans in Galway City in addition to supporting victims of domestic violence.

She was Chairperson of the Board of Galway Technical Institute up to the time of her death. She died in January 2004.

The civic commemoration was proposed by Cllr Frank Fahy at the April 2025 Plenary Meeting, saying the naming of the Henry Street playground would acknowledge Mary Byrne’s significant contribution to Galway.

The proposal was referred to the Civic Naming and Commemorative Committee, who recommended the naming to full Council, where it was proposed and seconded by Cllr. Terry O’Flaherty and Cllr Peter Keane.

Pictured: The attendance at the naming of the Mary Byrne Playground on Henry Street. Photos: Aengus McMahon.