Helen Ogbu

Helen Ogbu is an Irish Labour Party politician, researcher and community worker who has served as Mayor of Galway since 2026. She has served as a member of Galway City Council for the Galway City East electoral area since 2024. She was the first African woman elected to Galway City Council.

Early life and education

Ogbu was born in Nigeria and later settled in Galway, where she has lived for more than two decades. She is a doctoral researcher at the University of Galway, where her research is based at the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre.

Career

Before entering politics, Ogbu worked in the community and voluntary sector. She was employed by Galway Volunteer Centre as a Project Development and Organisation Support Officer and Garda Vetting Liaison Officer. She has also volunteered with organisations including the Galway Refugee Support Group and the Galway Rape Crisis Centre.

Election campaigns Ogbu was the Labour Party candidate for Galway West at the 2024 Irish general election. Following the election of Catherine Connolly as President of Ireland, Labour selected her as its candidate for the 2026 Galway West by-election. Ogbu, who was one of six candidates in the Vote Left, Transfer Left electoral pact, received 11.4% of first preference votes and was eliminated on the 10th count.

Mayor of Galway On 19 June 2026, Ogbu was elected as the 72nd Mayor of Galway, during the Annual Meeting of Galway City Council. Soon after her election, reports emerged of errors surrounding her asylum timeline in Ireland. Her personal website had stated she sought asylum in Ireland in 2006 after her husband, Sunny, was assassinated in Nigeria, but Sunny actually died in 2010. On 1 July, Ogbu spoke to Galway Bay FM and said that "incompetence" was to blame for the errors.