Fringe political group lodges FOI with Galway County Council over councillor’s email
A fringe political group which brands itself as the Irish Republican Brotherhood has submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to Galway County Council after a county councillor circulated an email to elected colleagues last month.
During a Galway County Council meeting in May, Cllr Thomas Welby said he planned to send an email to fellow councillors urging them not to associate with a local group known as the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB).
One month later, email correspondence to senior staff at Galway County Council seen by the Irish Independent shows the chairman of the IRB, John D. Flanagan has now submitted an FOI request “requesting all information held by Galway County Council on Cllr Welby’s email.”
The IRB, which brands itself as a Community Council Co-op, claims it acts as a liaison between the community and “corporate bodies” like Galway County Council on issues relating to land and infrastructure, according to its online manifesto.
The group rejects the legitimacy of local authorities and claims to provide the most authentic form of representation for residents in the area.
Connemara councilor Thomas Welby, who also ran as a Galway West by-election candidate.
Noel Thomas of Independent Ireland is congratulated by colleagues as he tops the poll unelected in the first count in the Galway West by-election at the Galway Lawn Tennis Club, Galway. © Niall Carson
Cllr Welby said the email’s purpose was to encourage councillors to not engage with the IRB. Cllr Welby added he planned to take action through “proper legal channels”, specifically the Association of Irish Local Government (AILG), to ensure any momentum from the group is halted.
However, many councillors said Cllr Welby’s email and comments were irrelevant to the role of the local authority.
Galway County Council Chief Executive Liam Conneally assured Cllr Welby that “there is one democratic council in Galway.”
“Until the law changes, I will be responsible to one council only,” Mr Conneally said.
Cllr Sean Cunniffe described Cllr Welby’s email as inappropriate by-election rhetoric against Connemara Councillor and then Galway West candidate Noel Thomas. Both Cllr Welby and Thomas ran in the recent Galway West by-election.
“The election is over,” Cllr Cunniffe said. “It’s very ungracious.”
Councillor Cillian Keane said he would not be accepting any email sent, along with Councillor Declan Kelly who “didn’t know what the hell he was on about.”
During a GalwayBay FM by-election debate, Cllr Thomas was questioned about his involvement with the IRB after his name appeared in the group’s meeting minutes in April and June 2025.
He denied his membership and ultimately renounced the group.
In July 2025, Cllr Thomas confirmed his attendance to the June meeting over the Owenriff nursing home taken over by the HSE in 2012 as he told the Irish Independent: “I am a public representative so if there is something going on, I will go see what it is.”
The Irish Independent reached out to Cllr Thomas for comment. However, he said that what is being said “has all been seen before”.
This article was amended by the Irish Independent on June 29 to correct Cllr Declan Kelly’s name.