Bradley Bytes – A sort of political column by Dara Bradley

The rise of the purple party has receded. The prospect of a ‘quiet revolution’ has petered out.

The Social Democrats were ‘the next big thing’ in Galway West but are they political ‘has-beens’ now?

City Councillor Owen Hanley is the party’s first and only elected rep in Galway. Not an easy place to be for a young, first-time councillor whose support-structure, locally and nationally, appears to have vanished.

Hanley’s election in Galway City East was supposed to herald a new dawn for the party. A first Council seat, it was a platform to build on. That’s not quite how it has worked out, though.

Sharon Nolan almost took a seat in City Central in the 2019 Local Elections. Had that happened, maybe things would be different. But should’a would’a could’a.

As things stand, many of the party’s support base, who canvassed during elections and referenda, have either very publicly turned their back on the Soc Dems, or quietly disappeared.

Mr Social Democrats in Galway West, Niall Ó Tuathail, who unsuccessfully contested General Elections, but turned his nose up at running in the Locals, has gone quiet lately.

This was the party that led the way on campaigning for the Marriage Equality referendum.  A few years on, and the Soc Dems didn’t even have an entry in this month’s Galway Pride Parade.

Yes, Owen Hanley was there as a member of the community, as were people who would identify as Soc Dem supporters.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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