A NEW tccbnical coalition, involving a strengthened Fine Gael, Labour and three independents, resulted m the election of Tuam developer Tom McHugh as the mayor for the flrst term of the newly elected Galway Council Council.

Under the agreement reached by the so-called New Alliance - made up of Labour's Colm Keaveney, and Independents Tim Broderick, Thomas Welby and Jim Cuddy (the two latter councillors are ex-PD) - Fine Gael will take the mayoralty for four out of the five years.

The last coalition was made up of Fine Gael's ten councillors and Cllr Keaveriey, as well as the Independents Seosamh Ó Cuaig, Pat Hynes, Sean Canney, Sinn Féin's Dermot Connolly and Willie Burke, who failed this time to get reelected.

Talks stalled with some of the previous Independents when they insisted on terms as mayor. However Fine Gael was adamant that any mayor under the new council would not have served before.

The next in line for the job are Fine Gael's Jimmy McClearn and Sean Kyne, and the now-Independent Cllr Thomas Welby. The fifth term has as yet been left open, with councillors not clamouring for the job as it is seen as interfering with a candidate's prospects of getting re-elected.

Outgoing mayor Peter Feeney bucked that trend in these elections by winning back his seat. Cllr McHugh, who runs a building company and owns the Ard R’ Hotel in Tuam and a grocery and hardware shop near Dunmore as well as development land, won the vote comfortably with five votes to spare over the other contenders, Sean Ó Tuairisg (FF) and Seosamh Ó Cuaig.

Loughrea secretary Cllr Bridie Willers was elected by the same majority as deputy mayor.

Mayor McHugh said he had been a member of the council for a decade and regarded it as a great honour for himself and his family to take up the position of first citizen of the county.

He took up the role in turbulent economic times and this council would not have an easy run as evidenced by the reaction of constituents during the canvass, he told the first meeting last Friday.

"There are a lot of problems out on the ground. Unemployment is back to haunt us again, 20 years ago I remember the scourge it was. Unfortunately it's back and causing a lot of pain. The people of this council have to work, members and council officiais, to better the lot of people, we're going to try new ideas," he said.

Outgoing Mayor Peter Feeney remarked how national issues impacted on these local elections more so than any time in history as he paid tribute to the representatives who failed to in back their seats - Fianna Fáil's Connie Nf Fhatharta, Josie Conneely, Tom Reilly, James Joyce, Michael Regan and Independent Clir Willie Burke.

County Manager Martina Maloney paid tribute to Cllr Feeney's leadership style, which helped guide the cbamber through the particularly difficuit areas of planning and finance in an election year.

The other technical coalitions to emerge in the new council are Fianna Fáil's seven councillors and ex-FF tumed Independent Michael "Stroke" Fahy, while the remaining Independents have joined together under the chairmanship of Independent Connemara Councillor Seosamh Ó Cuaig to form the smallest group. These include Clir Sean Canney from Tuam, Sinn Féin's Dermot Connolly from the Ballinasloe area, Loughrea's Independent Clir Pat Hynes and Republican Sinn Féin's Tomás Ó Curraoin, from the Barna area.

Cllr Ó Cuaig stated stated that his group's ultimate aim was "to rid Ireland of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael and to replace them with something worthwhile"

"The country is in a mess economically. Cutbacks are the order of the day. It is the duty of the new group to fight for the rights of the young, the aged, the weak, the vulnerable and the workers. Others can look after the sleazy speculators, the dodgy developers and the hi-location bankers," he remarked.

Denise McNamara An Cúradh Chonnachtach 26/6/2009