Galway County Councillor Michael Fahy, who was given a one-year jail sentence and fined €75,000 for the misappropriation of council funds, has begun legal proceedings to have the conviction overturned.
His solicitor, Colman Sherry, told RTÉ News that a notice of appeal and the grounds of appeal against the Circuit Court decision have been lodged with the Court of Criminal Appeal.
Mr Sherry said Cllr Fahy was lodging his appeal against both the conviction and sentence.
It is understood the action will be mentioned in the Court of Criminal Appeal on Monday.
Michael Fahy was convicted in the Circuit Criminal Court in Galway on seven counts of fraud, attempted theft, deception and false accounting.
The conviction followed a garda probe in to the erection of council-funded wire fencing on his farm in Ardrahan in 2002 and 2003. He denied all of the charges.
Michael Fahy was elected to the council as a Fianna Fáil member in 1979, but now sits as an Independent.
He resigned from Fianna Fáil shortly after the garda investigation began in 2004.
