David Claude Toft was the Mayor of Galway

Mayor of Galway

The office of Mayor of Galway is an honorific title used by the of Galway City Council. The Council has jurisdiction throughout its administrative area which is the city of Galway – the largest city in the province of Connacht, in the Republic of Ireland. The office was originally established by a...

 from July 1981 until his death..

Toft was born in Galway

Galway

Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...

 to Abby Toft of Dublin and Florence Piper of Tramore, County Waterford

County Waterford

*Abbeyside, Affane, Aglish, Annestown, An Rinn, Ardmore*Ballinacourty, Ballinameela, Ballinamult, Ballinroad, Ballybeg, Ballybricken, Ballyduff Lower, Ballyduff Upper, Ballydurn, Ballygunner, Ballylaneen, Ballymacarbry, Ballymacart, Ballynaneashagh, Ballysaggart, Ballytruckle, Bilberry, Bunmahon,...

, and had siblings Kenneth and Maureen. The family were in the amusement business, the arcades they set up in Eyre Square

Eyre Square

John F. Kennedy Memorial Park is an inner-city public park in Galway, Ireland, formerly officially named Eyre Square and still widely known by that name...

 during the Galway Races

Galway Races

The Galway Races is an Irish horse-racing festival that starts on the last Monday of July every year. Held at Ballybrit Racecourse in Galway, Ireland over seven days, it is the longest of all the race meets that occur in Ireland....

 been especially remembered. The final two days takings of race week were always donated to charity.

A campaigner for Bobby Molloy

Bobby Molloy

Robert "Bobby" Molloy is an Irish former Fianna Fáil and Progressive Democrats politician, who served in a wide number of Cabinet poistions, most notably as Minister for Local Government, Minister for Defence and Minister for Energy....

 since the 1960s brought him into the political arena, and he successfully contested the 1979 Galway Corporation elections. He was elected Mayor of Galway on 29 June 1981. Upon receiving the chain of office from Bridie O'Flaherty he joked "The only reason I'm taking on this job is to have the family name on the chain - isn't that perfectly understandable!" Already ill on the night of his election, Toft nonetheless continued in his duties, his last official function been an especially strenuous journey to New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 for the Galwaymen's Association Centennial celebrations. He died on 3 December 1981 and was replaced in office by Michael D. Higgins

Michael D. Higgins

Michael Daniel Higgins is the ninth and current President of Ireland, having taken office on 11 November 2011 following victory in the 2011 Irish presidential election. Higgins is an Irish politician, poet, sociologist, author and broadcaster. Higgins was President of the Labour Party until his...

. He was buried in New Cemetery, Bohermore, and was survived by his daughter Gillian, son-in-law James Cunningham and grand-daughter Daisy.

External links

• http://www.galwaycity.ie/AllServices/YourCouncil/HistoryofTheCityCouncil/PreviousMayors/