CMLOG and AMLÉ Comhdháil 2026: Key Takeaways 

University of Galway’s Student’s Union (CMLOG) attended this year’s Comhdháil in full force for four days of procedure, debate and craic.  

Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éireann Comhdháil MMXXVI (a.k.a. 2026 by those who are not Roman nor pretentious) was held at the Clayton Hotel in Sligo. 

The annual event is AMLÉ’s foremost decision-making body. Delegations from across the nation come together at the end of semester two, to decide on AMLÉ policy for the upcoming year, and to elect the next AMLÉ Coiste Gnó/Executive Committee. 

Over 300 delegates attended this year’s conference, including 22 of University of Galway Students’ Union’s very own. 

Here are some key moments of Comhdháil, including the many ways in which CMLOG represented Galway’s student body with the utmost pride, decorum, and finger snaps. 

Procedure 

But first, a rundown of some congress lingo, in case the pictures made you so jealous you’re thinking of signing up for Comhdháil MMXXVII (a.k.a. ,βκζ′, a.k.a. 2.027*10³ , a.k.a. if you’re really boring: 2027). 

9B breaks hearts  

As with any parliamentary procedure, standing orders must be obeyed. 

CMLOG delegate Gergő Gyenes was queued to speak on a number of motions on Monday and Tuesday, yet through unfortunate coincidence, almost all were subject to a 9B proposal. 

When the 9B procedurals pass, the debate has to stop. Mr Gyenes and the other queueing speakers were obliged to sit down. 

No matter how badly a delegate wishes to speak on a motion, if the floor wants the standing orders enacted, there is very little that can be done. Parliamentary procedure can prove terribly unforgiving. 

9C breaks minds 

There’s only one thing worse than a 9B… enter 9C: an addition or amendment to the motion.  

Almost every second motion proposal was followed by the Steering Committee announcing: ‘we have been made aware of procedural motion 9C’. Where some 9Cs were efficient single-line changes, others took longer to read out than the original motion. 

On Tuesday the floor finally fought back against the 9Cs that had been wrecking minds all day long. The motion was amended by so many consecutive 9Cs that CMLOG delegate Jean O’Boyle resorted to proposing a 9B to scrap it altogether. Congress voted in favour, backing Ms O’Boyle’s take that ‘we don’t even know what we’re voting on!’. 

RON on the rampage 

Who’s RON? Is that the mysterious candidate that languishes, picture and manifesto free, at the bottom of the voting ballot? Since you, dear reader, take your democratic duty seriously, you definitely noticed that every ballot paper in students’ union elections has the same candidate under the frontrunners. 

RON actually stands for Re-Open Nominations – an active vote against the available candidates and a campaign to re-open the nominations process to find new ones. It’s always talked about, but never happens, right? Well… wrong. 

RON can be a protest vote, or a joke vote. And this time, in the elections for the AMLÉ Coiste Gnó, RON was the surprising victor. In the election for AMLÉ’s next VP Campaigns, RON edged out TUSSU’s Gearoid Folan. 

A by-election will now take place to fill the role. Perhaps another Weasley can mirror RON’s success? 

Debate 

That’s enough acronyms and abbreviations for the time being. In case you’ve lost sight of the point of it all; here are some amazing steps CMLOG’s delegates pushed for while taking a break from the pool, food, and excellent hotel service in Sligo. 

CMLOG made their voices heard on the wide range of topics that directly affect our students. For example, upcoming president Seán de Búrca proposed a motion on EU funded Research Grants, which passed with ease.  

And, as covered by our fellow delegate Jake Davis, CMLOG’s postgrad representatives were instrumental in the passing of a motion to reform pay structures for postgraduate researchers. Postgraduate delegates Daniel McGonigle, Eoghan O’Mahony and Buddila Wijeyesekera spoke so well, their motions passed by a vast majority. 

On Wednesday morning, Mr McGonigle proposed a motion on Common Travel Area waivers, which would allow international students in Ireland access to Northern Ireland. Shortly after, Mr Wijeyesekera got to propose a motion regarding the rollout and renewal of Irish Residency Permit (IRP) cards. 

Both passed by a comfortable majority on the Comhdháil floor. 

CMLOG also presented a strong front on the matter of the continuation of sustainability within AMLÉ, lead by current Environmental Awareness and Sustainability Officer Molly Hickey, which also passed with without a hitch (ignoring the successfully trampled 9B). A productive congress, surely! 

The Craic 

And now for the real news. No congress is complete without its fair share of shenanigans. With cardboard cutouts, hidden identities, and busted afters (if somebody saw a pigeon roaming the hotel’s winding corridors – no you didn’t), Comhdháil’s delegates really went all out on providing this year’s entertainment. 

Murder at Comhdháil

From the very first day, one thing stood out from the front of the room: CMLOG’s six-foot-tall cardboard cutout of the stricken VP for Welfare and Equality, Paddy Marnane. 

Mr Marnane’s absence at Comhdháil was soothed by his cardboard doppelganger. “Paddy, you’ve never looked better”, and “Will the delegate please take a seat?” were among some of the quotes that kept Paddy at the forefront of congress’s mind. 

Tragically however, ‘Prominent Paddy’ was broken at the Comhdháil dinner, and laid to rest by DCUSU President Shane Murphy. 

After a playful apprehension from CMLOG VP for Education Seán de Búrca, ‘Prominent Paddy’ was revived, but subsequently vanished – without trace. Rumour has it that the delegation from an unnamed Dublin university might have taken possession of the beloved figure. 

De Búrca lost de voice – but won best quote  

The Steering awards at the Comhdháil dinner seen CMLOG recognised for three days of good engagement. Delegate Cathal Ó hÉigeartaigh was nominated for the award of Best Gaeilgeoir, Eoghan O’Mahony was nominated for Best First Time Speech, and CMLOG as a whole was nominated for best delegation. 

But it was VP for Education Seán de Búrca – although badly in need of a lozenge for his hoarse voice – that took home a prize for Best Quote. Mr de Búrca’s apt nod to gender equality while referring to Steering’s €2 fine for every swear on the floor, got him the award. 

“When Steering go collecting the money for the fines, make sure to keep the gender pay gap in mind.” – Seán de Búrca 

Comhdháil Gossips 26 

What would an event such as AMLÉ Comhdháil be without the obligatory dodgy meme page? Some would say a lot less fun. 

As soon as the event began the page sprang up, following delegates and requesting anonymous confessions to be posted. While no confessions of a mean or defamatory nature were posted, the account (iconically named comhdhail_gossips26) posted anonymous memes imitating notable behaviours from the floor, as well as serving as a space in which delegates could (anonymously) profess their unrequited love for the men from UCDSU. 

Cathal Sherlock lived up to his name as he exposed the owner to be an MTUCSU delegate in a dramatic reveal at the Comhdháil Ball. With great relief at the eradicated threat of anonymous slander, delegates An Dreoilín-ed the rest of the night away. 

In good hands  

AMLÉ Comhdháil finished up on Thursday afternoon, with speeches from the AMLÉ President and President Elect. The outgoing President, Waterford’s Bryan O’Mahony, rounded off a fantastic three years in AMLÉ with a deeply personal speech about financial and mental health issues of students, before swiftly handing over to the new President Elect, Daniel Walsh. 

Mr Walsh used a smattering of Gaeilge throughout his speech to the floor. He thanked the staff of the Clayton Hotel for helping with hundreds of queries and for “politely looking the other way at the clinking noises coming from delegates bags.” He thanked the Comhdháil Director and AMLÉ General Manager Ben Archibald for running the event so smoothly, and all the amazing delegates for their contributions about how to run a stronger movement. 

Walsh also gave a nod to his defeated presidential opponent, TUSSU’s Dara Lenihan, and paid a special tribute to outgoing president Bryan O’Mahony for his services to students, at which a bunch of flowers appeared in the room for Mr O’Mahony.  

He then spoke about SU elections this year and the reference in almost every manifesto to the cost of living, that is “locking people out of college.” Mr Walsh concluded by saying: 

“Students cannot continue to suffer under a government that doesn’t care for them, that doesn’t respect them, one that launches a student accommodation strategy in secret, with no students present. No more decisions can be made without us.” 

“We can’t afford to be passive anymore. Students are angry, students are struggling. Students are ready to take chunks out of a government that doesn’t care for us, and I can’t wait to get started. Ní neart go cur le Chéile. Let’s give ‘em hell.” 

It is fundamentally clear to see the passion in everyone in the room to represent their organisation to the best of their ability, and some vitally important motions were passed. 

While a great time was had in the sense of fun, the principle of Comhdháil as a decision-making body was undoubtedly fulfilled, and the future beckons with a renewed drive.