Mayor of Galway

Councillor Terry O' Flaherty is Mayor of Galway for the second time. She is from Mervue. She is a member of the Corporate Policy Group which determines City Hall decisions. Her mother, Bridie, was also mayor for two terms. Mayor O Flaherty hates smoking and littering. She chairs the meetings of the City Council. She is the first citizen of Galway City.

Our Visit to City Hall

We received a presentation in council chamber from Press Officer, Gary McMahon. Then we had a guided tour of Housing, Planning, and Community and Cultural Departments. Afterwards we returned to the council chamber and we were briefed by the mayor, who wore her chain of office. She then answered many of our questions. We had a photo with the mayor. We learned: Everybody should vote in elections. City Hall helps to improve Galway City. You cannot build a house without permission. City Hall supports Festivals in Galway. City Hall manages waste in the city. City Hall manages traffic in the city and want to make walking and cycling safer. The mayor wears a gold-plated chain.

Galway City Council

City Hall

Elected City Council Members There are fifteen elected members of the council (councillors) who are elected from three local electoral areas: Galway City East Galway City Central Galway City West The Councillors are elected for a period of five years. The City council meets in City Hall the second Monday of every month. Members of the public are entitled to attend these meetings.

This work is done as part of an eTwinning project entitled, Parliamentary Landmarks and Citizenship. Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Germany and Sweden are working together to learn more about democracy and citizenship in this, The Year of European Citizens.

City Hall is located on College Road in the heart of Galway City. It is the home of Galway City Council. It is open to the public from 09.00 to 16.00 from Monday to Friday. Meetings of the City Council are held in the council chamber in City Hall. The City Council administers local government in the city with responsibility for waste management, transport, culture and arts, and planning and housing. The council functions at two levels: Representational Level - Fifteen members are elected from three electoral areas. The elected councillors then elect a mayor who holds office for one year. Executive Level - The day to day functions of City Hall are carried out by the city manager and council staff.

There has been local government in Galway since Norman times. The position of mayor was introduced by charter of 1484. City charters were abolished in 1840 and Town Commissioners administered Galway until 1899. Galway City then became an urban district. In 1937 Galway City became a Borough with mayor. In 1985 Galway City received the status of county borough.

History of Galway City Council

Symbols of Galway City

Coat of Arms The arms of the city date back to about 1580. There is a galley with a single furled sail, floating on waves, and placed on a silver shield. There is also a smaller shield with a golden lion. The arms represent the maritime tradition of Galway. The Great Mace The earliest mention of a mace dates from the visit of the Lord Deputy to the city in 1558. The present mace was made in Dublin in 1710 and presented to the town in 1712 by Mayor Edward Eyre. It is used on ceremonial occasions. It weighs about 6kg. It is now on display in Galway Museum. Galway City Sword The sword dates to 1610 when James 1st gave the city county status. To mark this status the mayor had the right to have a sword carried before him on ceremonial occasions. The sword has two Galway silversmith marks. The covering of the blade displays the arms of Galway City. It is on display in the Museum.

Galway City Twinning

Within Galway City Council there is the Corporate Service Department. This department oversees twinning arrangements between Galway and eight other cities. Twinning involves cultural, educational and other exchanges of common interest between both communities. These twinnings have led to closer contact between citizens of Galway and the twin cities. The benefits of twinning to Galway city includes: Opportunities for the exchange of ideas. The breaking down of barriers. Fostering a better appreciation of other cultures

Pupil Involvement

The City Manager

The City Manager, Joe O'Neill, oversees the day to day running of City Hall. There are five policy committees involved in decision-making: Housing Transport and Infrastructure Economic Development and Planning Environment Recreation, Amenity and Culture.

These pupils have been involved in this work:

Kyle Guest, Ethan Goodfellow, Ryan Lally, Eryk Prokop, Avelino Kokou, Taofeek Adekola, Ciarn White, Szymon Stankiewicz, Kamil Podkanski, Francis Sweeney, Michael Sweeney, Calvin Toye, Jamie Kavanagh, Lee Shaughnessy, Zino Johnny, Brendan Horwath, Collins Williams, Cosmin Andvian, Dallas Kwaitkowski, Dylan Lenehan, David Sarfo, Emmanuel Egbadon, Henok Dems, Jake Larkin, John Ross Cleary, Kaelum Larkin, Leon Gyoh, Mateusz Pietrzyk, Mikey McDonagh, Muiz Agiboye, Ryan Meja, Sammy Pride, Samson Ogundeko, Scott Rigney