Insider is sure that all City Councillors had a right good old chuckle after reading Councillor Padraic Conneely’s letter to the editor in last week’s edition of this publication alleging that the Insider was running a vendetta against him. Conneely, long time master of the media seems to have a problem with anonymity.
This coming from the most machiavellian councillor in City Hall is truly laughable. It reminded me of the greatest “Carry On” gags of them all. Kenneth Williams playing a camp Julius Caesar in the 1964 romp Carry on Cleo, after been stabbed in the back and I stress, by one of his own, uttered the famous words “ Infamy! Infamy! They’ve all got in for me.”
The City Manager and senior officials of City Hall, HSE, VEC for a change were not bearing the brunt of his verbal rants but instead members of his own party who are rumoured to have written the Insider. The officials must have been truly grateful for some respite.
Councillor Conneely, immersed in Fine Gael politics all his long adult life has made plenty of enemies within the party and it was only a matter of time before they came out of the long grass. It is widely accepted that Conneely is a divisive figure not alone in the Fine Gael party but also in City Hall.
Councillor Conneely should be reminded that dignity is not a sign of weakness and that every moment that you spend upset, in despair, in anguish, angry or hurt because of the behaviour of anybody else in your life is a moment in which you have given up control of your own life.
His failure to build a rapport with his working colleagues in the Fine Gael family seems to be his downfall and now it is costing him dearly as they come out of the closet to attack him. He is accepted with sufferance by his fellow Councillors in the pact as a means of attaining power in the Council.
Could this latest rant be down to frustration in the execution of his civic duties and the fact that the work to rule is hurting him more than other councillors for certain obvious reasons.
Another great quote from the movies comes to mind when one thinks of the said councillor. Terry Jones as Brian’s mother in the 1979 comedy Monty Pythons The Life of Brian says “He’s not the Messiah, he’s a very naughty boy”. According to a recent Freedom of Information request on councillor expenses from the Irish Times and the Irish Independent Councillor Conneely has claimed a whopping €57,530.97 in expenses over the last year, albeit a good chunk of it came as mayor.
In comparison to poll toppers Councillors Billy Cameron and Terry O’ Flaherty come in at €25,088.85 and €25,471.69 respectively and are the lowest earners of the re-elected councillors. His Fine Gael colleague, Councillor Hidegarde Naughton could become the lowest earner on the council having only claimed €10,606.44 for her first six months service. So it seems that Councillor Conneely has creamed it this year.
Insider can reveal that Councillor Conneely was key during the divvying up of positions during the pact negotiations in June 2009. Newly elected councillors like Hildegarde Naughton and Peter Keane were left in the dark as to which positions carried a remuneration. Former Mayor Conneely grabbed positions on the Association of County and City Councils, the Association of Municipal Authorities of Ireland, the Local Authorities Members Association, the Western Regional Authority, and the Border, Midland and Western Regional Authority all of which are lucrative financially rewarding positions and not declared in his already earned €57K. A more realistic figure of earnings would be in or around €70K. Would the former Mayor care to speak on the “unfairness and inequality” to the newly elected pact colleagues in not divulging the details and remunerations of all positions which were to be handed out?
Maybe Councillor Conneely is the “Messiah”, maybe we have all got it wrong and if he is, he may be asked to change one seat in Galway City Central to two in the next local election. Given his colossal vote of over 1000 first preferences of which he is very proud, it would surely justify a running mate. This was the way Fine Gael did it in the past when former Mayor and Fine Gael Councillor Angela Lupton (RIP ) always stood with a running mate in the old West Ward. This is the way it is done currently in the South and West Ward, with two candidates in each ward. So why should Galway City Central Ward be any different. Would Councillor Conneely consider this to be an “inefficiency” on behalf of Fine Gael. Would he be able to find a running mate to accompany him on the ticket? It should not be difficult to find a new candidate given the rankings of Fine Gael in the polls both nationally and locally. We look forward to developments!
As a friend and colleague I would simply ask him to remember the scene from The Life of Brian when the Messiah is been crucified by his own. Whistle or hum the following;
“Always look on the bright side of life. Da dum da dum da da da dum.”
