Search Results for 'Progressive Democrats'

Fianna Fáil’s Josie Forde, a first-time candidate and the party’s only female runner in Galway, is one of six new councillors who survived the field of 52 runners on a day when her party lost its position as the largest on the local authority, going down from five to four seats. Her 665 first preferences got her in on the 14th count.

Two prominent Galway Fine Gael politicians handed in their notice ahead of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s shock resignation yesterday.

As we approach the end of another year, it is always interesting to review the local political goings-on in the Galway City Council. Let us examine each grouping in the chamber.

Linley MacKenzie

The end of civil war politics. A cliché maybe, but one we have heard repeated ad nauseam in recent weeks following the decision by FF and FG to enter government together for the first time.

Well, as I am writing this, the election logjam trundles on. As we all know, the Dáil will meet on Thursday of this week, and their first task will be the election of a Ceann Comhairle. After that then, the games will begin. It is envisaged that each of the party leaders will be proposed and seconded to be Taoiseach, and each one will fail the numbers game.

Week II

I hope you are wrapped up well and fit for the rigours of the late January cold spell which we are having. As I write this column, it appears that this Thursday and Friday will be the crunch days when there could well be accumulated snow. All we can do is prepare ourselves, expect the worst and be glad if it doesn’t turn out as severe as has been forecast.

The centre cannot hold. We are almost a century from Yeats penning those words, and again the political and social climate of the continent - and the broader world - is in turmoil. "The best lack all conviction, while the worst//Are full of passionate intensity."

Well, Ireland won last Saturday in Melbourne so it’s full steam ahead for Sydney next week, now it really is a competition. Australia won one match and Ireland won another match and now, next Saturday, will be the decider.