Our Nuala mans-up to join old boys’ club
Bradley Bytes – A sort of political column by Dara Bradley
We always knew defeat in the local elections wouldn’t bury former Labour Party city councillor Nuala Nolan.
Regular readers will recall that Our Nuala was quick to bounce back from losing her seat in last May’s local election.
She was appointed to be the representative of Irish Congress of Trade Unions, through the Galway Trades Council, on the City Council’s planning Strategic Policy Committee.
It softened the blow of electoral loss.
But Our Nuala continues her Lazarus-like recovery. And is blazing a trail for wimmin while she’s at it.
This week she announced to the world on Facebook that she was joining one of Galway’s old boys’ clubs – and is the first woman to do so.
“Kind of chuffed at becoming the first woman on the Council of the Galway Mechanics Institute, Middle Street, since its foundation in 1838! Now that is really a first! Compensated for losing my seat on the Galway City Council,” purred Nuala.
So she’s left one old boys’ club at City Hall to join another.
Her former Council colleague Frank Fahey (FG) congratulated her: “Blessed art thou among men, Nuala.” It remains a man’s world. But it would be nothing without the likes of Our Nuala.
And she is bolshie enough that we’re sure she won’t ‘be all things to all men’ at the Galway Mechanics Institute.
Warming Queen
A politician with a sense of humour – now that’s a rare breed.
Many politicians think they’re funny but usually the joke is on them.
Every now and then, though, our fuddy-duddy TDs, senators and councillors surprise us with wit. We spotted one instance last week in an article in the Sunday Business Post.
The newspaper reported that the British government has to pay 31,000 pensioners living in Ireland a ‘winter fuel payment’.
Following an EU ruling, the Brits were forced to pay the allowance to Irish pensioners now living in Ireland who spent most of their working lives in Britain. The payment worked out at €233 on average for each pensioner, and cost the Brits €7.4 million last year.
With tongue in cheek, Galway West Fine Gael TD, Brian Walsh, was quoted as saying: “I think it’s very generous of Her Majesty that Prince Philip isn’t the only pensioner she’s been keeping warm this winter.”
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.