David Claude Toft (10 April 1922 – 3 December 1981) was the

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 of the city of Galway which is the largest city in the province of Connacht, in Ireland. Th ...

from July 1981 until his death. Toft was born in

Galway Galway ( ; , ) is a City status in Ireland, city in (and the county town of) County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lough Corrib and Galway Bay. It is the most populous settlement in the province of Connacht, the List of settleme ...

to Abby Toft of

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

, and Florence (née Piper) Toft of Tramore, County Waterford, and had two siblings, Kenneth and Maureen. The family was in the amusement business. They set up arcades in

Eyre Square Eyre Square ( ; ) is a city public park in Galway, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The park is within the city centre, adjoining the nearby shopping area of William Street and Shop Street. Galway railway station is adjacent to Eyre Square. The ...

during the

Galway Races The Galway Races (Irish language, Irish: ''Rásaí na Gaillimhe'') is an Ireland, 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 one of the ...

. The final two days takings of race week were always donated to charity. A campaigner for Bobby Molloy 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 being an especially strenuous journey to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

for the Galwaymen's Association

Centennial A centennial, or centenary in British English, is a 100th anniversary or otherwise relates to a century. Notable events Notable centennial events at a national or world-level include: * Centennial Exhibition, 1876, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ...

celebrations. He died on 3 December 1981, aged 59, from undisclosed causes, and was succeeded in office by

Michael D. Higgins Michael Daniel Higgins (; born 18 April 1941) is an Irish politician, poet, broadcaster, and sociologist who has been serving as the president of Ireland since 2011. Entering national politics through the Labour Party, he served as a senator ...

. He was buried in the New Cemetery,

Bohermore Bohermore () is an area of Galway City, Galway, Ireland. It got this name as it was the main road into Galway City from the east in medieval times. The area is known as the location of the large Bohermore Cemetery, also called the "New Cemeter ...

, survived by his daughter Gillian and her family.

References

* ''Role of Honour:The Mayors of Galway City 1485-2001'' by William Henry, Galway (2001).

External links

Profile of Claude Toft
galwaycity.ie; accessed 26 February 2014. Politicians from County Galway Mayors of Galway 1922 births 1981 deaths {{Ireland-mayor-stub