Galway County Council


Galway County Council is the local authority of County Galway, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning and development, amenity and culture, environment, and local fire services. The council has 39 elected members. Elections are held every five years and are by single transferable vote. The head of the council has the title of Cathaoirleach. The county administration is headed by a chief executive, Liam Conneally. The county seat is at Áras an Chontae in Galway city.
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History

Galway County Council was established on 1 April 1899 under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 for the administrative county of County Galway. This area was that of the former judicial county of Galway, except the district electoral divisions of Drummaan, Inishcaltra North, Mountshannon, and Rosmoylan and the district electoral divisions of Ballinchalla and Owenbrin ; the part of the judicial county of Roscommon which was in the town of Ballinasloe; and the judicial county of the town of Galway.
It took over the local administration which had been carried out by county grand juries and county-at-large presentment sessions, which included the maintenance of highways and bridges, the upkeep of lunatic asylums, and the appointment of coroners. The new council also took over some duties from the poor law boards of guardians in relation to diseases of cattle and from the justices of the peace to regulate explosives.
From 1986, Galway City Council has governed the city of Galway as a separate local government area from the rest of the county.
The County Council initially met in Tuam. It subsequently acquired the old Galway Infirmary and converted it into a new county headquarters. A modern facility, known as County Hall, was built on the same site and completed in 1999.

Regional Assembly

Galway County Council has three representatives on the Northern and Western Regional Assembly who are part of the West Strategic Planning Area Committee.

Elections

The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1919 introduced the electoral system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote for the 1920 Irish local elections. This electoral system has been retained, with members of Galway County Council elected for a five-year term of office from multi-member local electoral areas.

Local electoral areas and municipal districts

County Galway is divided into the following LEAs and municipal districts, defined by electoral divisions.

Councillors

The following were elected at the 2024 Galway County Council election.

Councillors by electoral area

This list reflects the order in which councillors were elected on 7 June 2024.
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