Galway City Your Council

We’re excited to share a special feature episode of the Galway City – Your Council podcast, diving into the creative process behind our brand‑new podcast jingle. This episode was produced in collaboration with Music Generation Galway City and created alongside two talented young musicians, Arthur and Isaac, who took the lead in crafting the new jingle. While Galway City Council provided the broad...

The Galway City – Your Council podcast is back for a special feature episode, focusing on Galway City Museum’s newest exhibit by Lego brick artist Jessica Farrell. Jessica has created twelve tiny models of Galway’s past and present, using LEGO® bricks and minifigures, for children visiting the museum to find as part of a Tiny Treasure Hunt!   In this episode, Jessica discusses her creative ap...

In this episode we meet Leonard Cleary, who became Chief Executive of Galway City Council in May 2024. Leonard has over 26 years of experience in local government having held several senior leadership roles in Clare County Council, including in Housing, Tourism, Human Resources, and Community and Rural Development. In this episode, Leonard speaks about some of the challenges and opportunities faci...

In this episode, we meet Galway City Council’s first ‘Night Time Economy Officer’, Kate Howard.   This is a new role and a new area of work for Galway City, which is one of eight pilot Night Time Economy cities and towns in Ireland.   The Night-Time Economy (NTE) encompasses a broad range of stakeholders, and offers diverse activities such as cultural events, entertainment, hospitality,...

Our guest this week is Robert Steed, a Craft Gardener with the Recreation and Amenity Department of Galway City Council. After graduating with a degree in Countryside Management from the University of Wales, Rob has collected a wealth of experience from working with the Western Regional Fisheries Board and then with The Burren National Park as a Conservation Ranger. Rob joined the Galway City team...

Today we meet Ruth Mulhern, Arts Officer. The arts are an integral part of the identity of the City of Galway, with the Arts Office playing a key role in supporting and facilitating artists and the creative community in the city. Ruth has extensive experience in the arts and business – having studied history of art and archaeology, working in outreach in the National Gallery of Ireland, runni...

Our guest today is Paul Fallon, the Integration Support Coordinator in the Integration Support Service team at Galway City Council. The Integration Support Service is a new service in Irish local authorities, with the Galway City team coming into place in March 2024.  The integration team provide support to asylum seekers and refugees as they integrate into their local area, including setting...

In this episode, we meet a School Warden who is looking after the children of Galway City for almost five decades! Anne Quinn is a School Warden in east Galway City. Anne is the city’s longest serving warden with 48 years’ experience guiding our most vulnerable road users on their journey to school. Anne speaks about her role as a warden, what she enjoys most about the role, and how behaviour on t...

The ‘Galway City – Your Council’ Podcast is back! In the first episode of the new series, we meet Galway City Council’s Community Climate Action Officer Tiarnan McCusker. Tiarnan has extensive experience working with children and young people taking positive action for the environment, as a Green-Schools Travel Officer, and Environmental Awareness Officer in Galway City council.  Tiarnan talk...

In the final episode of the first series of 'Galway City - Your Council', Fergal meets Brian Sheridan, the Harbour Master in the Port of Galway, to find out more about the role of a Harbour Master, and the importance of the Port to Galway City now, and in the past and the future plans for the port of Galway. This is the last episode in the first series of Galway City - Your Council podcast. W...

Our penultimate weekly guest is Galway City Council’s new Irish Language Officer Marcus Ó Conaire. Marcus is tasked with promoting the Irish language and you will hear a great chat now about the role of the Irish language in the history, geography and culture of Galway. As the local authority for Ireland’s third largest city - a leader in culture, education and business - Galway City Council...

Our guest this week is Paula Kearney, Galway City Council’s first Biodiversity Officer. In a professional career which spans over 20 years, Paula has provided strategic advice and managed multi-disciplinary inputs for Environmental Impact Assessments on a wide-range of projects including wind farms, greenways, roads, water treatment and flood relief schemes. In her current role as the Biodiversity...

Our guest this week is Helen Kilroy is the Head of Finance and Director of Services for ICT. Helen is a Chartered Accountant, having worked in practice in a number of senior roles in EY, Deloitte and BDO, before joining the local authority sector.   Helen is responsible for the Council budget of €113m and is working with the senior management team to drive corporate governance, digital transf...

Our guest this week is Tom Costello who is a Dog Warden from the Ballybane Dog Pound. Galway City Council seeks to promote responsible dog ownership - the basis of which is licensing and control of dogs. Dogs are wonderful pets and are loyal and dedicated companions. However, if you are considering taking a dog into your life, or if you already have a dog, it is important that you think seriously...

Our guest this week is Emmet Humphreys, Senior Executive Architect in Housing, in Galway City Council.   Emmet discusses his career as an architect from his studies in Sweden to a private practice in Drogheda to public service in Roscommon and Galway. Emmet has always had a keen interest in urban planning and the crucial role of collaboration between all the stakeholders including civic,...

Our guest this week is James Reynolds who is a technical officer with the Galway City Museum. James chats about how they go about the conservation, storage and preservation of all the fascinating objects in the museum. We interviewed Eithne Verling who is the director of the Galway City museum on ep11 last week and we now have part 2 this week of our focus on the Galway City Museum The Galway City...

Our guest this week is Eithne Verling who is the director of the Galway City Museum. The Galway City Museum mandate is to explore and share the rich history, archaeology and culture of Galway from prehistoric to modern times. So as you can imagineour chat with Eithne touches on history and culture from the ancient BC ruins of the Aran islands, to the early church to medieval trade to exhibitions f...

Our guest this week is Edward Conlon, a Housing Liaison Officer. Galway City Council own and manage over 2,000 properties and the Tenant Liaison Officers provide a wide range of services to tenants including advice to tenants on all details of their tenancy agreements, developing Residents Associations, providing details of services being provided by Galway City Council and assisting in problems l...

This week in Galway City – Your Council, Fergal meets Mary Lyons, who retired from Galway City Council in 2012.   Mary worked in the home as a housewife for 30 years, before returning to paid work in Galway City Council at the age of 52. On her return, Mary realised how invaluable her skills running the home, raising 5 children, being a foster parent to over 30 foster children, and being...

Our guest this week is Ian Brennan, the facilities manager for the Leisureland complex in Salthill which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2023. Leisureland has been serving the community of Galway City where many thousands of people have learned to swim, while many more have attended concerts, performed on the stage, or visited the amusements and mini golf. We chatted about the history of th...

Our guest this week is Brian Barrett who is the acting director of services covering Corporate Governance & Services, Community, Climate Change and Galway City Council’s humanitarian refugee response including the Ukrainian crisis. We also chatted about what makes Galway city such an attractive city for both companies and people to work and live in.  The Galway City – Your Council se...

Sharon Connolly is a Senior Engineer in Galway City Council, with responsibility for Environment, Parks and Recreation, and Capital Sports Projects.  Sharon has worked on projects around the world, including Ireland, the UK and Qatar, and has over three decades experience as an engineer.   Sharon started her career when far fewer women were getting opportunities in STEM industries – Shar...

Our guest today is Pat is McPhilbin who has worked for over 30 years with the litter management unit who cleanup the streets of Galway for 365 days of the year. Pat chats about what his role entails and the changes he has seen in Galway over the 30 years. The Galway City – Your Council series can be listened to every Tuesday where we will be chatting to some of the people who deliver Galway City C...

Our guest is Fergal McGrath, Manager of the Town Hall and the black Box Theatres, which are Galway City's Municipal Theatres. Fergal has worked in the cultural sector for over 30 years and is closely associated with the growth and development of a number of leading Irish companies and organisations including Galway Arts Festival, the establishment of Baboró Children’s Arts Festival, and the world...

Our guest this week is Jason Craughwell who is the coordinator of the Galway Sports Partnership. Galway Sports Partnership is an initiative of the Irish Sports Council to create a national structure to co-ordinate and promote the development of sport at local level.  The main aim of Galway Sports Partnership is to increase the level of participation in sport, recreation and physical activity,...