Noels like peas in a pod as TD looks to life after Polltoppers
Bradley Bytes - a political column with Dara Bradley
Is Noel Grealish already planning for life after Terry ‘The Original Polltopper’ O’Flaherty, and Declan McDonnell, the pretender who currently holds her crown?
The Galway West Independent TD certainly sent the bush telegraph into overdrive with his cosying up to Noel Larkin of late.
‘Noeleen’ has always been closely linked to his former Progressive Democrat colleagues, city councillors Terry O’Flaherty and Declan McDonnell, who are top dogs in City East. And while Terry and Declan have a healthy dislike for each other, they’re both fond of Noel Grealish. The Carnmore man was their mentor, confidant and shoulder to cry on . . . and he’s been known to keep the pair of political rivals from talking lumps out of each other.
But there has been a noticeable shift in Grealish’s allegiances towards another Independent city councillor in City East: Noel Larkin.
The two Noels, like peas in a pod, were in Dáil Éireann together recently, seeking to have Environment Minister, Richard Bruton, to introduce more stringent measures to crackdown on those caught illegal dumping.
Noel Grealish has always maintained alliances with his former PDs including Terry and Declan in the city as well as King of Knocknacarra, Donal Lyons; as well as county councillors Tom Welby and Jim Cuddy.
And he’s even been known to flirt with other Independent councillors, such as current Mayor of Galway, Mike Cubbard. Noel’s batting of eyelids at Mayor Mike didn’t cause much of a stir because Cubbard is in City Central where there are no former PDs.
But forging a new alliance with Noel Larkin, a big rival for votes with his traditional allies in City East, the two Polltoppers, Terry and Declan, has set tongues wagging – are Terry and Declan planning to bow out of politics after this latest five-year term, and is Grealish strategically positioning himself alongside Larkin to cushion the blow of his two acolytes’ possible retirements?
For more Bradley Bytes, see this week's Galway City Tribune