John Mulholland

Background

Mulholland was born in Dublin, the eldest of six children of Ned Mulholland of Kinnegad and Betty O"Donoghue of Ballingary, County Tipperary.

Career

The family moved to Galway in 1948. He returned to Galway to take charge of the family"s betting shop. He and Margaret have children Alan, Lisa, Eddie and Aoife Mulholland.

Mulholland expanded the business, and by the early 21st century owned ten betting shops.

On 10 October 1986 he officially opened the city"s first purpose built City Hall.

Achievements

• He was again elected Mayor in 1996, and oversaw occasions such as a civic reception for three-time Olympic Gold Medal winner, Michelle Smyth, leading Galway"s highly successful business mission to Milwaukee and Chicago.

Politics

Influenced by Garret Fitzgerald, Mulholland stood for Fine Gael and was elected with a large majority for the city"s South Ward in 1985, becoming Mayor the following year.

Membership

As part of a fundraiser for Galway Hospice, Mayor Mulholland graciously allowed himself to be kidnapped, and ransomed from, "members of the notorious Galway Youth Federation." He was host to Chief Garry White Deer of the Choctaw Nation on his official visit to Galway. One hundred and fifty years earlier, the Choctaw Nation had sent famine relief to the people of Ireland, despite at the time been in the process of banishment from their homelands.