Name: Hildegarde Naughton
Location: Oranmore
Occupation: Incoming Galway City Councillor
Favourite thing about Galway: It is a unique country city with a strong university and cultural background
Worst thing about Galway: Traffic congestion

Best known around Galway for her musical talents, Hildegarde Naughton is about to take on a whole new challenge - as a member of Galway City Council.

Described in the run up to the local elections as the "dark horse of Galway City West", Fine Gael candidate Hildegarde Naughton silenced all the critics by garnering 1,061 first preferences on polling day and claiming a seat in City Hall.

In a tough election that saw well-known councillors including Daniel Callanan, Niall O Brolcháin and party colleague John Mulholland losing their seats, this is no mean feat for a first-time candidate and is largely due to Naughton's passionate and confident approach.

Originally from Oranmore, Hildegarde has grown up in Galway and is widely involved in a number of charity and community projects. A teacher at St Pat's Boys School, she undertook a BA in French and Economics at NUI Galway before teaching in France for two years.

On returning to Ireland, she completed an MA in French at NUI Galway and a postgraduate diploma at Mary Immaculate College before continuing her teaching career.

While she says she always wanted to teach and thoroughly enjoys her job, she acknowledges that politics is in her blood. Her father has been active in the Galway West organisation for 40 years and was elected to the Executive Council, where he served in a voluntary capacity under Garret Fitzgerald, Alan Dukes and John Bruton for over 12 years.

Even so, Hildegarde faced an uphill battle to win the coveted seat and puts her success down to a strong campaign and hard work on the ground.

"I was absolutely delighted to receive the highest Fine Gael first preference vote in Galway City. I ran a strong campaign, I engaged with the people on the doors and they had the confidence in me to represent them on Galway City Council. I feel there is a seismic change taking place in Irish politics and I want to participate in that evolution," she says.

While Galway City Council faces tough economic times over the next five years, Hildegarde is confident that major changes can be made and services improved through cutting inefficiencies and using the limited funding in the best way possible by prioritising the important issues.

During her term, she hopes to address traffic congestion in the city by supporting the controversial Galway City Outer Bypass and a light rail system, as well as evaluating planning applications "without fear or favour of vested interests".

Health is another area in which she wishes to make an impact, by setting up local health clinics to cater for primary medical care and, in turn, reducing waiting times and freeing up hospital beds.

City council meetings have been known to descend into volatile debates, with many strong characters in residence. However, Hildegarde is confident that she will be able to hold her own.

"I am really looking forward to it and am not daunted at all by the challenge. I think this is a time to put party politics aside and work together to do our best for Galway. I am not under any illusions. I have a mandate and I have been put into that council by people who expect me to deliver, so I am passionate about doing the best I can for this city."

Hildegarde's first meeting as a city councillor will be made all the more poignant by the fact that she will be wearing the robes of one of Galway's best-known councillors, the late Angela Lupton.

"Angela was a family friend, so this is a huge honour for me and I would just like to thank her family for giving me this opportunity."

Aside from politics, Hildegarde enjoys singing and acting with the Patrician Musical Society and is also involved in charity work in the city and county, raising €300,000 for local charities as co-ordinator of the 2007 Telethon People In Need campaign.

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