Controversial council mergers, regrets about slow moving housing policies and the 'burning issues' facing Galway County Council were all featured in the outgoing Cathaoirleach of the County of Galway, Liam Carroll's last address on Friday, June 21.
"It is not easy, in this day and age, being in public life," shared Carroll at Galway County Council's Annual General Meeting in County Hall, Prospect Hill. "We can't dwell in the past, but instead look to the future."
Carroll's final day in the council could be described as a 'bittersweet' occasion, a final hurrah as both Cathaoirleach and a serving councillor, as well as being the last official link to Fine Gael, the party he has represented in politics for the last 15 years.
A long-time member of Fine Gael, Carroll had previously served two terms with the party, a relationship which soured this year when the FG National Executive announced that it would not be selecting Carroll for the upcoming local elections despite him being the then Cathaoirleach. Instead of Carroll, FG National Executive announced that it would be instead choosing to add Young Fine Gael President and Claregalway native Eoghan Gallagher to the ticket.
Following this, Carroll announced he would be standing a 'community candidate' for last month's local election, but shortly afterwards pulled out of the running.
These events, though trialling for Carroll, awarded him a perfect opportunity to share his opinions and wishes for the future of Galway County Council, one unhampered by party politics.
One of these opinions, the possible merging of Galway City Council with County Council, caused chatter to break out amongst his council colleagues, both returning and newly elected.
Addressing councillors and staff, Carroll said, "Time has come for serious consideration to be given to the merging of both county and city councils."
This statement triggered a reaction from the gathered councillors, varying from quiet discussions to a cry of 'is this what Pádraig Pearse died for'.
Ignoring these responses, Carroll continued, calling for collaboration between the two bodies for the sake of the community it serves. Giving the example of the old Galway Airport site, which is jointly owned by Galway local authorities, Carroll describes the property as 'lying idle for 11 years', Carroll went on to discuss potential benefits of merging the bodies.
Controversial
Though heated, the response to the suggestion of merging on June 21, pales in comparison to prior discussions regarding the topic in County Hall. In March, 2023, while debating the expansion of Galway City Council's boundaries to include Barna, Moycullen, Oranmore and Claregalway, one councillor compared the potential move to being akin to 'when Russia moved into Crimea'.
Despite the controversial topic, other than the singular outburst referencing a leader of the 1916 Rising, the crowd took it in good stead.
Cllr Jimmy McClearn shared his thanks and well wishes to Carroll, a former Fine Gael party colleague, sharing his discontent with Carroll's departure from the party and his recommendation to merge the bodies.
"You were a valued member of Fine Gael for many years and I am sorry things happened the way they did towards the end," shared Cllr McClearn, adding, "I'm glad you didn't express your views (regarding merger ) earlier than today. I wouldn't want that to take away from your time in the council."
Cllr Noel Thomas credited Carroll's positive, 'spirited' presence in the council, adding, "You were going well in the speech until you got to the merger."
Regrets
Carroll's speech reflecting on the end of his term as Cathaoirleach and as a member of the council featured highs such as the opening of the BIA Innovator Campus in Athenry, as well as the 564 events he attended while in the role, travelling more than 39,000km.
As well as sharing these highs, Carroll made sure to include his regrets, namely the County Council Development Plan.
"My regrets include the County Development Plan which was created more than two years ago. In the time since, I have not seen very many diggers out building housing."
Burning issues
Wishing Galway County councillors well as they embark on the their term, Carroll advised the newly elected representatives on the burning issues they will face. Among these issues are funding for Galway's roads, housing, Galway ring road, climate change, and flood defences all present 'major challenges' for Galway Co councillors according to Carroll.
"The future of 193,000 residents depend on the decisions we make here," said Carroll.
