Councillor Helen Ogbu elected as Galway City mayor

Kenneth Fox

Councillor Helen Ogbu has been elected as Mayor of the City of Galway.

She has been selected for the role at the Galway City Council AGM in City Hall.

Councillor Ogbu becomes the 72nd person to hold the honour of the First Citizen of Galway City. She is also the first African woman to be elected to the post.

Councillor Josie Forde has been elected Deputy Mayor.

As the Irish Examiner reports, born in Nigeria, Ms Ogbu has lived in Ireland for 20 years and raised her child in Galway.

She has also fostered dozens of children. Her husband, Sunny Orji-Ogbu, was also a politician; he was assassinated in Nigeria in 2010.

“It's going to be amazing,” Ms Ogbu said. “The City of Tribes, for the first time [electing a black woman], that says a lot. The people of Galway have the opportunity to prove that, to do that.

“This is the time I need to do it.”

She said that while there has been racism, it is not something she is witnessing at the doors, as she questioned if the online hate was coming from real people.