Bradley Bytes – a sort of political column with Dara Bradley

They’re taking lumps out of each other in Galway City East.

At least one of the six city councillors elected there in 2019 will not be seeking re-election in 2024’s local elections. And even though polling day is more than a year away, the jockeying for position in this competitive electoral ward has intensified, leading to rancour among candidates.

The latest barney started with what seemed a fairly innocuous social media post by Councillor Alan Cheevers. The Fianna Fáiler announced on Facebook that Galway City Council planned to install a new outdoor gym in Castlepark.

Well, if he did, he sent rivals into a tizzy. And in particular, election hopeful Michael Tully, who has had two unsuccessful attempts to be elected to City Hall.

Cheesy Cheevers published online a “sketch of (the) proposal I am working with Council on”, which he said he believed would be a “great addition” to the area.

Janet Tully, Michael Tully’s wife, hit back, claiming Cheevers “has not come up with this idea . . . it has already been worked on”. She claimed her husband and others “have put a lot of work into this since 2021”.

Michael Tully was apoplectic, too. He claimed to be one of a trio of people who “started a project for a calisthenics gym in Castlepark in 2021”.

In a detailed post on Facebook, Tully reaffirmed his central role in setting up a group which made representations to officials in City Hall, who were impressed and set about implementing his vision.

He even included screenshots of emails that detailed his initial approaches to Council officials about the need for an outdoor gym, and helpful suggestions about how this might be realised.

John Rabbitte, a former Fine Gael candidate in City East, backed up his story. “It has to be said that you Mike Tully came up with the idea and made contact with the City Council officials who agreed to provide the equipment,” said Rabbitte online.

Another woman, who was part of the group, added her voice to the theory that Tully, and not Cheevers, had been the original driving force behind this gym proposal.

Politicians and would-be politicians claiming credit for projects is par for the course but this particular spat has soured relations in an already tense electoral ward.

With all the noise over whose idea it was, the inevitable elbowing for position for the cameras at the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the gym-opening, if it ever comes to fruition, should be interesting!

(Photo: Local election hopeful, Michael Tully).
This is a shortened preview version of this column. For more Bradley Bytes, see the April 14 edition of the Galway City Tribune. You can buy a digital edition HERE.