Inside Politics Live in Galway: Who can win the Galway West byelection?

Hugh Linehan hosts a live Inside Politics show in Galway’s Róisín Dubh with Pat Leahy, Ellen Coyne and Galway native Harry McGee ahead of the May 22nd Galway West byelection. Harry, fresh from his day of shadowing candidates on the canvass, profiles the constituency and what influences are at play in this huge electoral area, which spans urban, rural and Gaeltacht districts. The Irish Times politics team outlines why byelections are hard to predict, who the key candidates are, and what dynamics might shape the race; from Independent Ireland’s Noel Thomas and the lingering impact of the fuel protests to the “vote left, transfer left” pact and Catherine Connolly’s influence. They also consider whether government candidates can break the usual byelection pattern, the Social Democrats’ momentum, and what the result could signal about longer-term shifts in Irish politics. Hugh also fields questions from our live audience, some of whom have travelled from as far away as Dundee in Scotland. Would you like to receive daily insights into world events delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Denis Staunton's Global Briefing newsletter here: irishtimes.com/newsletters/global-briefing/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Inside Politics Live in Galway: Who can win the Galway West byelection? is an episode from Irish Times Inside Politics by The Irish Times.

This episode is 56:33 long.

This episode was published on May 6, 2026.

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