Connolly takes top honours as medals are dished out!

Comparing Irish politics to what’s going on in America at this moment in time is like comparing the activity on a deserted island in Connemara with that of Times Square. It’s hard to keep up with Donald J Trump. Last week he got rid of chief of staff Reince Preibus and his spokesman Sean Spicer. In their place he appointed former hedge fund manager Anthony Scaramucci, who spun away like a Dervish for ten days and spun himself out. Late on Monday night he was gone.

Life moves at a slower place over here, where the height of our excitement saw Leo Varadkar make a practical and sensible statement on Brexit last week saying the British really needed to get their act together, and come up with a solution that won’t hamper trade or movement.

There was a predictable backlash from the DUP – but besides that, very little. When politicians take a break in Ireland they really take a break.

Which makes it the perfect time for my annual award ceremony for our local TDs and Senators – and I’m going to decide which of them are Galway hurlers and which are Galway footballers.

This year, as it turns out, everybody’s a winner and makes it to the podium. The TDs from Galway, Mayo and Roscommon have done well comparatively and there are no placemat holders among them.

But some will be bigger winners than others. As with last year there are bronze, silver and gold awards.

First the bronze. Nothing wrong with that at all. The first is Eugene Murphy from Roscommon-Galway. Though from a media background it took him a while to find his feet. Most of his big issues have been local, on flooding and on retaining the Athlone suburb of Monksland as part of Roscommon.

Noel Grealish also scores bronze. Grealish’s national profile is low and he is a natural constituency TD. He is a bit of a political fixer though, and has helped smooth the passage of important Bills for the Coalition.

For more, read this week's Connacht Tribune.