Who are the new cathaoirligh elected across Galway municipal districts?
New cathaoirligh for Galway’s municipal districts were elected this week and will serve one-year terms leading their respective areas across the county.
The Irish Independents spoke with the five new cathaoirligh to see what priorities they are setting as they don the chains.
Athenry/Oranmore – Independent Tómas Grealish
Nominated by Fine Gael Councillor Peter Feeney, Tómas Grealish takes over the chains for the Athenry area.
He told the Irish Independent that the year will include prioritising funding and amenities for the area, especially Claregalway, as increased social and affordable housing developments make their way in.
Cllr Grealish was one of the first candidates elected on the first count for the Athenry/Oranmore area during to the 2024 local election.
Connemara – Fine Gael Pádraig Mac an Iomaire
Stepping up from his role as Leas Cathaoirleach for Connemara MD, Cllr Mac an Iomaire plans to prioritise the Irish language in his term as Cathaoirleach.
“We’re in the biggest Gaeltacht in the country and I personally think we should be using more Irish at the meetings,” Cllr Mac an Iomaire told the Irish Independent, adding that his colleagues agree with the approach.
Local roads, like the R336, are among priority projects for this year under his leadership, as well as graveyard maintenance and housing.
Cllr Mac an Iomaire was proposed by Cllr Eileen Mannion.
Loughrea – Independent Geraldine Donohue
Cllr Geraldine Donohue took over from Cllr Paul Killilea for her second go at taking the chains. She was first named Cathaoirleach in 2021, during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“This is very different. The last time it was all online and social distancing, so there were no real public events at all,” Cllr Donohue told the Irish Independent. “This time is the real deal.”
Cllr Donohue has been very outspoken in her time as a councillor towards the necessity of re-opening Dunguaire Castle and unfair CLÁR mapping.
Cllr Hoade succeeded Cllr Karey McHugh Farag for the Tuam municipal district this week. Additionally, she acted as the Galway County Council Leas Cathaoirleach this past year.
“When you’re a Cathaoirleach of a municipal district, you are responsible for the whole municipal district really,” Cllr Hoade said.
2025/2026 Galway County Council Cathaoirleach - David Collins (R), Leas Cathaoirleach - Mary Hoade (L)
Cllr Hoade said an area to prioirtise this year is affordable housing in areas like Headford and Dunmore, among other smaller towns with support from the infrastructure fund.
Ballinasloe – Independent Dr Evelyn Parsons
Cllr Parsons succeeded Cllr Peter Keaveney in Ballinasloe.
Speaking to the Irish Independent, her priority list is long and goes from rural medical care, to environmental recognition for the River Suck, to cross county relationships.
Ballinasloe has “always been a place where people met. It was an intersection before the river. It was a trading place, a place of great activity and there were always crowds,” Cllr Parsons said.
“I’d like to see it become a hosting town again, in a wider sense, in a tourism sense, and certainly build relationships with our neighbors, like Roscommon.”
Cllr Parsons has been at the forefront of issues concerning the downgrading of maternity services at Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe.
The Irish Independent updated the article on June 11 to include a photo of Cllr Evelyn Parsons.