Constituency Profile:
Galway West has not experienced any boundary changes since 2007. This young constituency with a large percentage of Irish speakers experienced strong population growth between 2002 and 2006, at 10.7%, well above the natural average.
The population in 2006 stood at 131,041.
The constituency is a mixture of urban and rural, juxtaposing the beauty of Connemara alongside the rapidly expanding city of Galway.
The city has experienced issues common in expanding cities, such as insufficient infrastructure and lack of services and facilities.
There are several large employers in Galway West, but some of these and many others have announced significant redundancies in recent years.
Constituency Boundaries: There have been no changes since 2007.
Seats: Five
2007 Quota: 9,183
2011 Candidates
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Niall Ó Brolcháin - Green Party
A former Mayor of Galway, Niall O Brolcháin unsuccessfully contested the 2002 and 2007 general elections. He was elected to the Seanad in a by-election for the administrative panel in December 2010. He is the Green Party Spokesperson on Health and Children.
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Catherine Connolly - Independent
A former Labour Party Lord Mayor of Galway and Director of elections for Michael D. Higgins, this is Catherine Connnolly's second time to contest a general election as an Independent.
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Michael Crowe - Fianna Fáil
A member of Galway City Council since 2004, Michael Crowe ran unsuccessfully in the Galway West constituency in the 2007 general election. He is currently the Mayor of Galway City.
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Mike Cubbard - Independent
Mike Cubbard is a first-time general election candidate. The 25-year-old stood unsuccessfully in the 2009 local elections.
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Éamon Ó Cuív - Fianna Fáil
A grandson of Eamon De Valera, Eamon Ó Cuív is the Minister for Social Protection, Minister for Defence and Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. He recently finished runner-up to Micheál Martin in the Fianna Fáil leadership race.
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Frank Fahey - Fianna Fáil
Frank Fahey is a former Minister and was first elected to the Dáil in February 1982. He has retained his seat at six of the following seven Dáil elections for Galway West.
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Noel Grealish - Independent
Elected in 2002 and 2007 as a member of the Progressive Democrats, Noel Grealish secured a seat in 2007 with 5,806 first preferences.
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Fidelma Healy Eames - Fine Gael
Oranmore-based Senator Fidelma Healy Eames ran unsuccessfully as a candidate in the 2002 and 2007 general elections.
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Uinseann Eoin Holmes - Independent
Uinseann Eoin Holmes is an Independent candidate in the Galway West constituency.
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Thomas King - Independent
Thomas King is an Independent candidate in the Galway West constituency.
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Seán Kyne - Fine Gael
Sean Kyne has been a member of Galway Council since 2004. Kyne stood unsuccessfully in the 2007 general election.
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Hildegarde Naughton - Fine Gael
Hildegarde Naughton is a first time general election candidate. Naughton has been a member of Galway City Council since June 2009.
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Derek Nolan - Labour Party
Derek Nolan is a first-time Dáil candidate. He replaces Michael D. Higgins on the Labour Party ticket. Higgins held a seat in Galway West for 25 of the past 30 years.
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Trevor Ó Clochartaigh - Sinn Féin
Carna native Trevor Ó Clochartaigh is a first-time general election candidate.
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Brian Walsh - Fine Gael
Brian Walsh is a former Mayor of Galway and current leader of the Fine Gael group on the City Council. Walsh is contesting his first general election.
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Eamon Walsh - Independent
Eamon Walsh is a 43-year-old businessman and disability rights campaigner. Walsh is a first-time general election candidate.
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Thomas Welby - Independent
Now an independent, Thomas Welby was one of three Progressive Democrats candidates to contest the Galway West constituency in 2007. He is a Connemara-based member of Galway County Council.
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Sitting TDs: Éamon Ó Cuív (FF), Frank Fahey (FF), Pádraic McCormack (FG), Michael D Higgins (LAB), Noel Grealish (IND)
Note: Noel Grealish was elected in 2007 as a PD. He became an Independent in November 2009 on the dissolution of the PD party.
TDs not seeking re-election: Michael D Higgins (LAB), Pádraic McCormack (FG)
2007 General Election
Galway West emerged from the election as it entered it, with the five TDs elected in 2002 returned in 2007.
Éamon Ó Cuív topped the poll with 9,645 votes. His party colleague Frank Fahey joined him.
However, the decline in Fianna Fáil’s vote deprived the party of a third seat for Michael Crowe, who was dealt a blow by the decision of former Fianna Fáil candidate Margaret Cox to run as an Independent.
Fine Gael’s Pádraic McCormack took the third seat comfortably on the transfers from fellow Fine Gael candidate, Fidelma Healy Eames.
Michael D Higgins secured the second seat with 11.1% of first preferences.
In 2002 Noel Grealish of the Progressive Democrats had surprised everybody when he held Bobby Molloy’s seat for the party.
Despite winning just 2,375 first preferences, Mr Grealish was able to take a seat with the help of the transfers from geographically well-chosen running mates, Donal Lyons and Declan McDonnell.
Between the three of them they won 12.5% of the vote in 2002, which increased to 16.1% in 2007 when the same approach enabled Mr Grealish to hold his seat (although Declan McDonnell was replaced by Tom Welby Jr).
The anticipated breakthrough for Niall Ó Brolcháin of the Green Party failed to materialise. Sinn Féin saw its first preference improve only marginally in 2007.
2002 Turnout: 61%
2007 Turnout: 64.2%
Oireachtas Constituency Information
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