If you did not already know that a general election was coming, Monday’s city council meeting would have left you in no doubt as two candidates squared up to each other in a slagging match.
The end result was that Mayor Michael J Crowe, who is running for Fianna Fáil, stormed out of the meeting following a scathing row with Independent councillor Catherine Connolly, who is also running in Galway West.
The meeting presented the council with a final opportunity to debate material alterations and submissions from the public in relation to the City Development Plan before the deadline for its approval this week.
However Mayor Crowe threatened to abandon the meeting and then walked out after Cllr Connolly branded him as “the most ignorant chairman I have ever had to deal with”.
Cllr Connolly had criticised Mayor Crowe for interrupting her while she was speaking in relation to the development plan. When the Mayor reacted angrily, Cllr Connolly added: “Did you forget to take your medication this morning?”
Mayor Crowe demanded that she withdraw the remark, prompting Cllr Connolly to reply: “OK, I withdraw that. Did you forget to take your Smarties?”
A visibly angered Mayor adjourned the meeting for 20 minutes and threatened to abandon the meeting upon his return if Cllr Connolly did not apologise for her remarks. She refused to apologise but stated that she “unreservedly withdrew” what she had said.
Cllr Crowe stormed out and was replaced in the chair by Deputy Mayor Cllr Brian Walsh for the remainder of the meeting, which continued until almost 1am.
This is not the first time the two councillors have clashed in the chamber. Mayor Crowe abandoned a meeting last year after Cllr Connolly accused him of having a conflict of interests arising from the fact that he had been awarded contracts by the council under the Rental Accommodation Scheme.
Separately, Mayor Crowe accused Cllr Connolly of having had a conflict of interests in relation to a proposed rezoning of lands to accommodate the relocation of the Bish Secondary School, where her husband was a teacher.
