The Galway Traveller Movement has called on Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin to reverse his party’s decision to propose former councillor Michael Crowe to return to Galway City Council.
With the election of city councillor John Connolly (FF ) to Dáil Éireann last month, 17 city councillors will vote at a special meeting tomorrow, Friday, to accept or reject Crowe to replace Connolly as a representative for the city’s west ward.
Bohermore-based Crowe, first elected to Galway City Council in 2004, lost his own council seat for City East at the local elections in June.
“We are utterly appalled at news that Michael Crowe will return to Galway City Council. We appeal to Micheál Martin and Fianna Fáil to immediately reverse this decision, and appoint a person who fully supports equality outcomes for the Traveller community and other minorities,” said Margaret O'Riada, joint co-ordinator of the Galway Traveller Movement (GTM ).
For a week during autumn 2022, Crowe hit national headlines in the run-up to the Fianna Fáil ardfheis when he doubled down on anti-Traveller statements to local media. The former mayor initially criticised Galway City Council for allocating a social house in Renmore to a family from a Traveller background.
The matter was raised in the Dáil, a protest march of hundreds - including local politicians - paraded through Galway, and Crowe eventually tweeted a “sincere, genuine apology” to all members of the Travelling community. Micheal Martin labelled Crowe’s initial comments “unacceptable”.
“There is cut and thrust in politics but there is no room for the broad-ranging, sweeping generalisations I made about Travellers. For that, I am sorry,” Crowe tweeted at the time.
“We did not accept his eventual apology, then or now,” said Ms O'Riada, who added that Crowe’s selection reflected poorly on Fianna Fail. Crowe beat former councillor Val Hanley at a local FF selection convention held on Monday night by six votes.
“We met with Micheál Martin at that time and took on board his support and understanding at face value. So, this news comes as a kick in the teeth,” Ms O'Riada said.
“Michael Crowe was not elected by the people and there should be no place for him or anyone else on Galway City Council that holds anti-Traveller views. A Councillor should not represent some of the people, but all of the people," she concluded.
A Fianna Fáil spokesperson said Crowe had faced disciplinary proceedings and a sanction in 2022, and the party considered the matter closed. It is understood Crowe lost the party whip for a number of months.
Crowe, who last year qualified as a barrister, was not available to respond to enquiries from the Galway Advertiser yesterday.
