Galway Advertiser 2007/2007_07_12/GA_1207_E1_001.pdf 

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Thursday July 12, 2007

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Former top cop's drink driving case put back until winter
BY DECLAN VARLEY The trial of a retired Garda Superintendent for alleged drunken and dangerous driving offences has been adjourned for three months after a sitting in Loughrea yesterday. The case made national and international headlines when it first broke last March. The story was all the more newsworthy because of the position held by the officer at the time of the incident. James Fitzgerald, with an address at Newgrove in Kilrickle, Loughrea, is facing four charges in relation to road traffic offences on March 29 2006. The case was adjourned shortly after opening yesterday morning at Loughrea District Court after Mr Fitzgerald's solicitor said he needed more time to consider documents relating to the case. Mr Fitzgerald was serving as a superintendent and was heading up the Garda Traffic Division in the Western Region when the alleged offences took place. He was based in Galway city. On March 29, he was arrested at a Garda checkpoint on the outskirts of Loughrea and taken to the local Garda Station. He was subsequently summonsed on four separate counts; for alleged drunk driving at Cosmona, Loughrea; for alleged dangerous driving at Cosmona and at Roo, Craughwell; and for failing to supply a specimen of his breath at Loughrea Garda Station. Supt Fitzgerald, who was not present at y e s t e r d a y ' s hearing, retired from the Garda Siochana a short time later. Having listened to the comments of the legal teams yesterday, Judge Michael Reilly adjourned the case until October 10.

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Pictured on Quay Street is Gary McSweeney as Mr Big, the lead character in the Macnas Parade 'The 9th Wonder of the World' which will burst onto the streets of Galway on Sunday, July 22 at 3pm in a spectacle of colour, music, dance and big band excitement. Photo:-Mike Shaughnessy

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Will we have three Galway constituencies?
BY KERNAN ANDREWS Galway could be divided up into three distinct political constituencies in time for the next General Election in five years time, according to pundits who have been observing the demographic changes in the west. There was a flurry of speculation among political anoraks this week that the constituency boundaries within Galway city and county could be re-drawn, leading to all kinds of new electoral configurations. According to recent census figures the population of the Galway West constituency is higher than for a five seat constituency and Galway East's population is slightly higher than for a four seater. This led to speculation that Galway could become like Gaul in Caesar's time and be "divided into three parts": a new four seat Galway West comprising the city and Connemara; a three seater Galway North taking in Tuam, Headford, Ballinasloe, etc; and a three seat Galway South taking in Oranmore, Gort, etc. There was also speculation that the local election wards in the city could be re-drawn as well. The theory being put forward here was that the North and East Ward would be increased from a seven seater to an eight seater while the South and West wards would be amalgamated into one constituency However any changes, should they occur, will not happen for a long time. A spokesperson for City Hall said that regarding the boundaries for the local elections "to date we have not been notified of any pending changes/merging of constituencies".

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