Brian Walsh (Irish politician)

Brian Walsh (born 28 September 1972) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who elected as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Galway West constituency at the 2011 general election.^[1] He sat as an independent TD, having lost the Fine Gael parliamentary party whip, from July 2013 to April 2014.^[2]

Local politics

He was elected to Galway City Council in 2004 and re-elected in 2009.^[3] He was the Mayor of Galway from 2005 to 2006 and was the city's youngest ever mayor.^[4]

Eyre Square in Galway began redevelopment work in 2004.^[5] There was controversy when the building contractors, Samuel Kingston Construction, had left the site and did not return. Some businesses were affected by the abandoned building site which had become an embarrassment to the city.^[6] On becoming Mayor of Galway, Walsh set up a task force to take charge of the project. He led the effort to complete the works. The square re-opened on 13 April 2006.

2011 general election

In December 2010, Walsh was selected by Fine Gael to contest the 2011 general election for Galway West. The outgoing Fine Gael representative Pádraic McCormack subsequently announced his retirement after not being selected at the party convention. Senator Fidelma Healy Eames was also selected by the party to contest the election. Councillors Seán Kyne and Hildegarde Naughton were subsequently added to the ticket as the party adopted an offensive electoral strategy in the constituency.

Expulsion from parliamentary party

Walsh was expelled from the Fine Gael parliamentary party on 2 July 2013 when he defied the party whip by voting against the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013.^[2][7]

He was re-admitted to the parliamentary party on 30 April 2014.^[8]

References