The office of Mayor of Galway is an honorific title used by the Cathaoirleach of Galway City Council. The council has jurisdiction throughout its administrative area of the city of Galway which is the largest city in the province of Connacht, in Ireland. The incumbent, since June 2026, is Labour councillor, Helen Ogbu.
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Election to the office
The Mayor is elected to office annually by Councillors of Galway City Council from amongst its members. There is no popular vote. Up to 1841, Mayors were elected in August and took office in September. There was a strong tradition of festivities to mark this start of a new municipal year. Current practice is for the term of office to begin in June with the former Mayor presenting the Chain of Office to the incoming Mayor, thus formally inaugurating a new term. The process is repeated the following June, unless the same person is given a second consecutive term.
History of the office
Prior to the creation of the mayoralty, the town of Galway was ruled by a Provost or Sovereign who was appointed by the Earl of Ulster. After the murder of the 3rd Earl in June 1333, the town was under the control of successive members of the Clanricarde line of the House of Burke. This situation lasted until well into the 15th century. However, charters from Richard II (in 1396) and Edward IV (in 1464) gave the citizens of the town semi-independence from the Clanricardes.
The office of mayor established by a royal charter issued by Richard III in December 1484 at the solicitation of merchants from the city's leading families, known as the Tribes of Galway. Although it survived the turbulent 17th century, the corruption of the office led to its disestablishment in 1841. Galway became an urban district in 1899. In 1937 the city regained its corporation status and the office of Mayor was re-installed.
Under section 11 of the Local Government Act 2001, the role is symbolic: "Subject to this Act, royal charters and letters patent relating to local authorities shall continue to apply for ceremonial and related purposes in accordance with local civic tradition but shall otherwise cease to have effect". The Act states the chairman of the Council must be styled the Cathaoirleach and that "Any reference in any other enactment to the lord mayor, mayor, chairman, deputy lord mayor, deputy mayor or vice-chairman or cognate words shall, where the context so requires, be read as a reference to the Cathaoirleach or Leas-Chathaoirleach or other title standing for the time being." (section 31 (3)).
Officeholders
"Tribes" period (1485–1654)
From 1485, the title of Mayor of Galway was used.
Mayoralty restored: Mayors since 1937
Galway Corporation was abolished in 1841 under the Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Act 1840. It became an urban district under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898. It became a borough corporation in 1937.