Editing Galway (section)

==Politics==
===Local government===
{{See also|Galway City Council|Mayor of Galway}}
With a population of 79,934, Galway is the fourth most populous urban area in the State and the 23rd most populous area of local government.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://census.cso.ie/sapmap2016/Results.aspx?Geog_Type=ST2016&Geog_Code=4DB393A8-D39C-4EB9-9320-4B85F38C2A0E|title=Census 2016 Sapmap Area: Settlements Galway City And Suburbs|website=census.cso.ie|access-date=4 April 2018|archive-date=30 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170730015334/http://census.cso.ie/sapmap2016/Results.aspx?Geog_Type=ST2016&Geog_Code=4DB393A8-D39C-4EB9-9320-4B85F38C2A0E|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cso.ie/px/pxeirestat/Statire/SelectOut/PxSort.asp?file=201844181158155320E2011&PLanguage=0&MainTable=E2011&MainTablePrestext=Births%20(Number)&potsize=32|title=Population Change and Average Annual Rates 2011 to 2016 by Sex, County and City, CensusYear and Statistic|date=4 April 2018|website=CSO/|publisher=Central Statistics Office|access-date=4 April 2018}}</ref> Services such as waste collection, recycling, traffic control, parks and housing are controlled by an eighteen-member [[city council]] elected to five-year terms by [[proportional representation]] through means of the [[single transferable vote]]. The City Council is chaired by a mayor who is elected to a one-year term by fellow councillors. The role of mayor is mainly ceremonial, although they do have the casting vote. The first mayor was [[Peirce Lynch]] Fitzjohn, elected in 1485. The current mayor, Cllr. Clodagh Higgins, was elected in June 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-17 |title=New county and city mayors to be elected this afternoon |url=https://galwaybayfm.ie/galway-bay-fm-news-desk/new-county-and-city-mayors-to-be-elected-this-afternoon/ |access-date=2022-08-15 |website=Galway Bay FM}}</ref>

In 1937, the Urban District of Galway became the Borough of Galway, remaining party of [[County Galway]].<ref>{{cite ISB|name=Local Government (Galway) Act 1937 |year=1937|number=3|type=prv|section=4|date=10 June 1937|stitle=Formation of the Borough of Galway|access-date=24 June 2021}}</ref> In 1986, the Borough of Galway became the County Borough of Galway and ceased to part of County Galway.<ref>{{cite ISB|name=Local Government (Reorganisation) Act 1985 |year=1985|number=7|section=5|date=3 April 1985|stitle=Establishment of Borough of Galway as County Borough|access-date=24 June 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite ISB|name=Local Government (Reorganisation) Act 1985 (County Borough of Galway) (Appointed Day) Order 1985 |type=si|year=1985|number=425|date=18 December 1985|access-date=24 June 2021}}</ref> In 2001, it was renamed Galway City.<ref>{{cite ISB|name=[[Local Government Act 2001]] |year=2001|number=37|section=10|date=21 July 2001|stitle=Local government areas|access-date=24 June 2021}}</ref>

The symbols of the office of the Mayor and the emblems of the dignity of the City Council are the Civic Sword (1620s) and the Great Mace (1710) which are carried in procession before the Mayor and Council on solemn civic occasions. When not in ceremonial use they can be seen at the [[Galway City Museum]]. In 1579, [[Elizabeth I]] confirmed the city's charter and appointed the Mayor as 'Admiral of the Bay and of the Aran islands'. The title, though extant, is rarely used except for ceremonial purposes.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The History of the Town and County of the Town of Galway. From the Earliest Period to the Present Time|last=Hardiman|first=James|publisher=W. Folds & Sons|year=1820|isbn=978-1297510311|location=Dublin|pages=285}}</ref>

The highest honour the city can bestow is the Freedom of the city. Among the names on the Roll of Honour are: [[Douglas Hyde]], [[President of Ireland]], 1939;<ref>{{Cite book|title=Forgotten Patriot: Douglas Hyde and the Foundation of the Irish Presidency|last=Murphy|first=Brian|publisher=The Collins Press|year=2016|isbn=9781848892903|location=Cork}}</ref> [[Éamon de Valera]], [[Taoiseach]], 1946; [[Seán T. O'Kelly]], President of Ireland, 1950; [[Robert F. Wagner]], Mayor of New York, 1961; [[John F. Kennedy]], President of the US, 1963; [[Pope John Paul II]], 1979; [[Ronald Reagan]], President of the US, 1984; [[Hillary Clinton]], 1999; [[Richard M. Daley]], Mayor of Chicago, 2003; [[Nelson Mandela]], 2003; [[Aung San Suu Kyi]], Burmese activist/leader, 2005; [[Garry Hynes]], Druid Theatre Founder, 2006; and [[Michael D. Higgins]], President of Ireland, 2012.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/president-gets-freedom-of-city-galway-pays-tribute-to-one-of-its-own-1.518778?mode=sample&auth-failed=1&pw-origin=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/president-gets-freedom-of-city-galway-pays-tribute-to-one-of-its-own-1.518778|title=President gets freedom of city: Galway pays tribute to one of its own|last=Siggins|first=Lorna|date=12 May 2012|newspaper=The Irish Times|access-date=4 April 2018}}</ref>

===National politics===
Galway City is part of the [[Galway West (Dáil constituency)|Galway West]] constituency of [[Dáil Éireann]]. Its [[Teachta Dála|TD]]s are:
* [[Noel Grealish]] ([[Independent politician (Ireland)|Independent]]). A native of An Carn Mór.
* [[Catherine Connolly]] ([[Independent politician (Ireland)|Independent]]). Former [[Mayor of Galway]], and Galway based.
* [[Éamon Ó Cuív]] ([[Fianna Fáil]]). Corr na Móna (Conamara) based. He is a former [[Minister for Social Protection]] and [[Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth|Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs]]
* [[Hildegarde Naughton]] ([[Fine Gael]]). Former senator and city councillor.
* [[Mairéad Farrell (politician)|Mairéad Farrell]] ([[Sinn Féin]]). From Mervue. Former city councillor.

[[President of Ireland]] [[Michael D. Higgins]] was [[Teachta Dála|TD]] for the Galway West parliamentary constituency, of which Galway City is a part, from 1981 to 1982 and from 1987 to 2011. He was also [[Mayor of Galway]] for two terms, 1981–82 and 1990–91.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Michael-D-Higgins|title=Michael D. Higgins {{!}} president of Ireland|work=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=10 February 2018}}</ref>

===Courts===
Galway's [[District Court (Ireland)|District Court]] is the main court of [[summary jurisdiction]] and hears minor cases without a jury. It is responsible for hearing small civil claims, and certain family law cases, administers the liquor licensing laws and is responsible for indicting the accused and sending them forward for trial at the [[Circuit Court]] and the [[Central Criminal Court (Ireland)|Central Criminal Court]].

The [[Circuit Court (Ireland)|Circuit Court]] in Galway tries all indictable offences (those cases triable by a judge and jury), except murder, rape, treason, piracy and genocide, which are reserved to the Central Criminal Court. It can also hear appeals from the District Court. Its decisions can be appealed to the [[Court of Appeal (Ireland)|Court of Appeal]]. Civilly, the court is limited to compensation claims of not more than €75,000. Both parties may waive this amount and grant the court unlimited jurisdiction. Divorce, Judicial Separation and probate cases can be heard provided they are within the financial parameters of the court's jurisdiction. Decisions in civil cases can be appealed to the [[High Court]].<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/justice/courts_system/courts.html|title=Courts|website=www.citizensinformation.ie}}</ref>

The [[High Court (Ireland)|High Court]] sits four times a year in Galway to hear original actions (actions that are not appeals from lower courts). It also sits twice a year in Galway to hear appeals from the Circuit Court in civil and family law cases. Its decisions can be appealed to the [[Court of Appeal (Ireland)|Court of Appeal]], or in some instances, to the [[Supreme Court of Ireland|Supreme Court]], which sits in Dublin.<ref name="auto"/>