'They would've loved this' - Troy Gallagher remembers parents on his big day in London

Letterkenny native Troy Gallagher has been awarded the Freedom of the City of London at The Freedom Ceremony and paid tribute to his late parents.

The Labour councillor was educated at Scoil Colmcille, St Eunan’s College and Letterkenny Vocational School. He relocated to England in 1999 and has lived in Islington, which has a population of almost 240,000.

Mr Gallagher was first elected to the council in 2010 and serves as a Labour Councillor for the Bunhill District. In 2021, he became the first person from the Republic of Ireland to become mayor of the London borough. Troy Gallagher took the oath of office and the Irish tricolour flew over Islington Town Hall during the ceremony.

His first exposure to politics was canvassing for former Letterkenny Labour politician Seán Maloney. After studying at Westminster College, Oxford he moved to London and joined the civil service.

He posted: “Honoured and delighted to be nominated and bestowed a Freeman of the City of London by past Lord Mayor Alderman Vincent Keaveney and Col Brian Kay for outstanding service to public life and community.

“Humbled at the historic investiture ceremony attended by friends Cllr Una O' Halloran, Tom Fabozzi from the Irish Embassy London, Mike Hedges Robert Khan John Greenshields Richard Logue Peter Power-Hynes from the Irish Cultural Centre, George Hussein, Bridie Cunningham BITA, Ronnie Barker HAC.”

Mr Gallagher’s late parents, Girlie and Hughie lived in the borough of Islington in the 1970s before moving to Letterkenny, were remembered.

“Thinking about and missing Mum and Dad and the family throughout the ceremony and reminiscing of when they worked in London and lived in Islington,” he added. “They would have loved this day.”