We are thrilled with our two final “Meet the Candidates” events, held in the last week of May in the West and the East wards. Both followed our Central ward event held only two weeks prior, on the 15th of May (read more here).
GCCN wishes to express our heartfelt gratitude to all those who played a part in making our three events a success.
The “Meet the Candidates” events provided an interactive platform for GCCN members to hear from and engage with the local candidates. Below is a brief summary of the activities from both events, complete with snapshots and important documents.
Meet the Candidates – West Ward
On May 28th, GCCN members met with 5 candidates in the West Ward as follows:
(from L-R in the picture above)
- Asraf Chowdury – Fine Gael
- Kenny Derry – Independent
- Esther Osayimwen – Independent
- Niall Murphy – Green Party
- Alan Curran – Social Democrats
Meet the Candidates – East Ward
On May 30th, GCCN members met with 8 candidates in the East Ward as follows:
(from L-R in the picture above)
- Arkadiusz Wozniak – Independent
- David Lynch – Independent
- Conor Dowd – Independent
- Helen Ogbu – Labour Party
- Denman Rooke – People Before Profit
- Justine Delaney Heaslip – Social Democrats
- (Non-Candidate) – Declan Brassil
- Joyce Mathias – Green Party
- Aisling Burke – Sinn Féin
During both events, each candidate shared their vision for their future work as councillors, if elected. They also engaged in insightful discussions on pertinent topics such as housing, accessibility, inclusion, transport, and planning.
All* candidates present at the events pledged their commitment to our three manifestos: the Community Manifesto , the Disability Access Manifesto and the Anti-Racism Election Protocol provided by INAR.
* Green Party candidate for the West Ward, Niall Murphy, did not to sign the Community Manifesto.
West Ward Candidates Signing the Pledges
West Ward Pledge Signatures
East Ward Candidates Signing the Pledges
East Ward Pledge Signatures
While some West and East Candidates were unable to attend the GCCN events, we encourage all remaining candidates to step forward and sign the pledges!
West Ward Snapshots
East Ward Snapshots
The delightful food for both occasions was once more catered by our member group, United Women Galway whose scrumptious dishes were a favourite among guests.
Unfortunately, United Women Galway will not be able to keep using the current premises for their catering activities.
We are therefore reaching out to anyone who can offer a suitable kitchen for the group to rent. If you can help, please contact Jamal on +353 89 963 8317 or at unitedwomengalway@gmail.com .
In conclusion, we encourage everyone to make their voice heard by voting on Friday, 7th June.
Following the election of the new Council, we are excited to collaborate closely with the newly elected councillors to ensure that the community’s voice is valued and considered in our shared stakeholder discussions.
Further details
The “Meet the Candidates” events aim to provide a platform for communities to raise issues of concern and hold conversations with their Galway City candidates from the Central, East, and West wards.
These gatherings facilitate direct engagement between community members and aspiring public officials. The aim is to empower informed decision-making and foster dialogue that addresses pressing issues.
We invite all candidates from Galway City’s Central, East, and West wards to participate and connect with the constituents they aim to represent. Our goal is for local candidates to listen to residents’ voices to shape a Galway City that is inclusive and welcoming to all.
We want incoming council members to tackle various crucial issues such as housing, poverty, inequality, racism, diversity and accessibility. All local election candidates are urged to sign our three pledges to the community including the Community Manifesto , the Disability Access Manifesto and the Anti-Racism Election Protocol provided by INAR.
Find further details at https://www.galwaycitycommunitynetwork.ie/local-elections-2024/
