Can County Galway help Michael Fitzmaurice keep his seat?

Thu, Feb 22, 2018

The recent opinion polls, if they are to be believed, have broadly backed Insider’s contention, made last week that, contrary to perceived wisdom, the Galway constituencies may be far from predictable next time out. Even those who see little scope for changes however agree the Roscommon/Galway constituency is an exception.

Galway East - no longer ‘the boring constituency’

Thu, Feb 15, 2018

For many years, Galway East was derided for its predictability – ‘the boring constituency’ guaranteed to return two FF and one FG TD and with no doubt about who the individuals concerned would be.

Flooding, a more regular feature these days?

Thu, Feb 08, 2018

Insider feels the pain of all those who have been affected by the recent flooding events in Galway city. Nor should we forget farmers in the county, who are still feeling the effects of the incessant rainfall.

Galway West - youth waiting in the wings for its chance

Thu, Feb 01, 2018

So when is the next General Election? For 18 months after the 2016 poll we were told "There'll be an election in six months." The Government came perilously close to collapse just before Christmas, but now? It seems an election is further away, rather than coming down the tracks fast.

Galwegians take leading roles in Social Democrats

Thu, Feb 01, 2018

Galway based members of the Social Democrats have been elected to leading positions within the party, following the party's national conference in Dún Laoghaire last weekend.

Tackle housing crises by making NAMA the 'National Housing Development Agency'

Thu, Jan 25, 2018

By now, the supposed paradox has become a truism: how is it that a State, which a decade ago had a housing bubble, now has a shortage? Why, when various surveys show thousands of vacant housing units, are so many unable to secure a home? Why has housing turned from an 'issue' to a 'crisis'?

Will Galway ever do ‘socially responsible sustainable’ planning?

Thu, Jan 18, 2018

If the pre-Christmas fear that we would have a general election achieved nothing else, it did flush a few Dáil hopefuls out into the public domain, resulting in a bit of competitive electioneering, particularly from two of the city's more testosterone loaded FF hopefuls.

Expect plenty political ‘seat of the pants’ moments in 2018

Thu, Jan 11, 2018

Insider is still recovering from what was a dramatic end to 2017 - the State narrowly avoiding a Christmas election; Ireland being at the centre of the standoff at the end of Phase 1 of the Brexit negotiations; and locally a SF implosion in Galway West. It was a whirlwind few weeks, and a period that offered wildly contrasting fortunes for the main political players. The Christmas break was badly needed by all.

Galway poet's suspension from Labour Party described as 'absurd'

Thu, Jan 04, 2018

Calls have been made for the Galway poet Kevin Higgins to be reinstated as a member of the British Labour Party. He was suspended 18 months ago after writing a satire about critics of party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Mairéad Farrell selected to run as Sinn Féin's Galway West candidate

Thu, Dec 07, 2017

Mairéad Farrell, the Galway City East councillor has been selected as Sinn Féin's candidate for Galway West in the next General Election, which is expected to take place in the early months of 2018.

Councillor Gabe Cronneely resigns from Sinn Féin

Mon, Dec 04, 2017

Following the shock resignation of Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh from Sinn Féin late last week, a second elected representative, county councillor Gabe Cronnelly, has resigned from the party as well.

The election is diverted, but cannot be delayed much longer

Thu, Nov 30, 2017

As the political temperature soars to levels usually only seen when we approach the end of a five year Dáil cycle, Insider has decided to offer the benefit of his wisdom to the main political parties on how they should approach the forthcoming election, which, based on recent events, cannot be delayed much longer.

Countdown to election - who stands to win in Galway West?

Thu, Nov 30, 2017

By late Tuesday morning there was little point in political anoraks hashtagging their Tweets with #GE17 anymore - unless they were tweeting along the lines of 'Well that's #GE17 averted then' - after Frances Fitzgerald resigned as Tánaiste, and spared the State a Christmas General Election.

Niall McNelis to run for Labour in Galway West

Tue, Nov 28, 2017

Regardless of what the fall-out is from any decision today regarding the future of Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald, and whether or not the State is plunged into a general election before Christmas, the days of the current administration are now seriously numbered.

Post-Brexit, Ireland faces many tough choices

Thu, Nov 23, 2017

While domestic policy challenges continue to dominate Irish political discourse, the sense that negotiations are reaching a crunch phase is pushing Brexit higher up the agenda. Insider however senses that much of the population, and even some of the political class, are oblivious to the scale of the challenges facing the State on the global front, and the painful decisions and choices that may have to be taken.

Galway councillor elected to Sinn Féin ard chomhairle

Thu, Nov 23, 2017

While Gerry Adams announcement of his plans to step down as party president was the main talking point from the recent Sinn Féin Ard Fheis, Galway city councillor Mairéad Farrell was elected to the party ard chomhairle, as the sole representative from Connacht.

A weekend of public meetings on pressing issues

Thu, Nov 23, 2017

The housing crisis, Ireland's natural resources, economics, and the European Union will be discussed in Galway this weekend at a series of talks organised by The Peadar O'Donnell Socialist Republican Forum.

Where is Europe going (and why you should be concerned)

Thu, Nov 16, 2017

Insider has been closely following the Tweets of former Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt, especially since the onset of the Catalonian crisis, often replying to and commenting on his pronouncements. So is Insider ‘Trolling’ the leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe?

Galway is set to grow – its traffic problems will grow with it

Thu, Nov 02, 2017

Insider knows Ireland's population is to rise by one million over the next 20 years. This will see Galway's population grow to beyond 100,000 between now and 2020. These predictions come from the North Western Regional Authority in its submission to the National Planning Framework – Ireland 2040, and these projections might be true, if planning applications lodged in recent months come to anything.

Echoes of Red October in Galway 2017

Thu, Oct 26, 2017

As we approach the centenary of the 1917 October Revolution in Russia, Insider has been thinking about the impact this event continues to have on politics and society today. It is especially relevant in the context of today’s polarisation of politics, so perhaps it’s a fitting date on which to paraphrase Karl Marx: “A spectre is haunting the world: the spectre of October."

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