Dermot Gallagher (civil servant)
Encyclopedia
Dermot Anthony Gallagher (born 1944) is an Irish
civil servant and the former Secretary General of the Department of Foreign Affairs. He left office as Secretary-General on 24 January 2009 and was replaced by David Cooney, former Ambassador to the United Kingdom. In February 2009 he was nominated to be Chairman of the Garda Síochána
Ombudsman
Commission and was appointed Chairman of University College Dublin
Governing Authority.
, Leitrim
, where he played at left half forward for Leitrim at minor and Under-21 level. He was the son of a Garda sergeant. His interest in the wider world was sparked by observing Guinness
barge
s arriving in his native town and speculating about their places of origin http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0124/1232474679465.html. This curiosity was refined under the tutelage of the late Professor Desmond Williams, who taught a course on diplomatic history at University College Dublin
.
in History
at UCD, Gallagher joined the Civil Service applying for a position in the Department of External Affairs, as it was then, starting in the job on 6 January 1969. His first minister was Frank Aiken
, who usually talked to him in Irish
, having learned that his new junior official was fluent in the language. Later that year, Aiken was succeeded by Dr Patrick Hillery
and then the event took place that was to shape Gallagher’s life: the North erupted into violence
.
On Saturday, 16 August 1969, Gallagher, as weekend duty officer for the department, encountered a group of nationalist MPs from the North, including the late Paddy Devlin
, who arrived at Iveagh House
demanding to meet Taoiseach
Jack Lynch
to obtain arms for the beleaguered Catholics of the Falls Road in Belfast. He told them he would convey their request for a meeting to his superiors in the department.
in New York
, Gallagher found himself at the Irish Embassy in London
serving from 1973-1977 as press officer. He was present at the Sunningdale negotiations
in 1973, leading to the ill-fated powersharing deal. He was sent to Brussels
in the early 1980s as a deputy chef de cabinet
with the European Commission
.
He got his first ambassadorial posting in 1985 – in far-off Lagos
, Nigeria
, where his contacts with Irish missionaries in particular taught him “a great deal about what matters in life”. He returned to Dublin to take charge of the Anglo-Irish division, with responsibility for Northern Ireland
policy. That was the time of the Anglo-Irish Agreement
, which Charles Haughey
had vehemently opposed in opposition. But when Haughey took over as Taoiseach in 1987 he told Gallagher he wanted the agreement implemented “fully and imaginatively”. He was appointed Ambassador to the US in 1991 where, as usual, he quickly developed a wide range of friendships and contacts. One of these was Bill Clinton
, then governor of Arkansas
.
His White House contacts proved advantageous when the nascent Irish peace process faced its first major challenge: securing a US visa for Sinn Féin
leader Gerry Adams
. After his posting in Washington DC he returned home in 1997 with the title of Second Secretary General. Bertie Ahern
was Taoiseach and eager to make a contribution to peace in the North. Gallagher put together a team of officials for the negotiations at Stormont
, including David Cooney, who now takes over from him as Secretary General. After the success of the Good Friday Agreement, Gallagher moved to the Department of the Taoiseach as Secretary General of that department. After his departure, this post was combined with the position of Secretary-General to the Government, under Dermot McCarthy
. Then it was back to Iveagh House as that department’s Secretary-General.
approved the appointment of a new Chairman, Mr Dermot Gallagher on Tuesday, 24 February 2009. Mr Gallagher replaces Mr Kieran McGowan, who chaired the Governing Authority since February 2004. http://www.ucd.ie/news/2009/02FEB09/250209_gallagher.html
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
civil servant and the former Secretary General of the Department of Foreign Affairs. He left office as Secretary-General on 24 January 2009 and was replaced by David Cooney, former Ambassador to the United Kingdom. In February 2009 he was nominated to be Chairman of the Garda Síochána
Garda Síochána
, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...
Ombudsman
Ombudsman
An ombudsman is a person who acts as a trusted intermediary between an organization and some internal or external constituency while representing not only but mostly the broad scope of constituent interests...
Commission and was appointed Chairman of University College Dublin
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
Governing Authority.
Early life
Gallagher was born in Carrick-on-ShannonCarrick-on-Shannon
Carrick-on-Shannon is the county town of County Leitrim in Ireland. It is also the smallest main county town in the country . It is situated on a strategic crossing point of the River Shannon and is the largest town in the county. The population of the town was 3,163 in 2006. It is in the barony...
, Leitrim
County Leitrim
County Leitrim is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the county...
, where he played at left half forward for Leitrim at minor and Under-21 level. He was the son of a Garda sergeant. His interest in the wider world was sparked by observing Guinness
Guinness
Guinness is a popular Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin. Guinness is directly descended from the porter style that originated in London in the early 18th century and is one of the most successful beer brands worldwide, brewed in almost...
barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
s arriving in his native town and speculating about their places of origin http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0124/1232474679465.html. This curiosity was refined under the tutelage of the late Professor Desmond Williams, who taught a course on diplomatic history at University College Dublin
University College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
.
Early career
Having taken his MAMaster of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
at UCD, Gallagher joined the Civil Service applying for a position in the Department of External Affairs, as it was then, starting in the job on 6 January 1969. His first minister was Frank Aiken
Frank Aiken
Frank Aiken was a commander of the Irish Republican Army and later an Irish politician. A founding-member of Fianna Fáil, Aiken was first elected to Dáil Éireann in 1923 and at each subsequent election until 1973...
, who usually talked to him in Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
, having learned that his new junior official was fluent in the language. Later that year, Aiken was succeeded by Dr Patrick Hillery
Patrick Hillery
Patrick John "Paddy" Hillery was an Irish politician and the sixth President of Ireland from 1976 until 1990. First elected at the 1951 general election as a Fianna Fáil Teachta Dála for Clare, he remained in Dáil Éireann until 1973...
and then the event took place that was to shape Gallagher’s life: the North erupted into violence
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
.
On Saturday, 16 August 1969, Gallagher, as weekend duty officer for the department, encountered a group of nationalist MPs from the North, including the late Paddy Devlin
Paddy Devlin
Paddy Devlin was a Northern Irish social democrat and Labour activist, a former Stormont MP, a founder of the Social Democratic and Labour Party and a member of the 1974 Power Sharing Executive.-Early life:...
, who arrived at Iveagh House
Iveagh House
Iveagh House is the headquarters of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Dublin. It is also sometimes used colloquially as a metonym referring to the department itself....
demanding to meet Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
Jack Lynch
Jack Lynch
John Mary "Jack" Lynch was the Taoiseach of Ireland, serving two terms in office; from 1966 to 1973 and 1977 to 1979....
to obtain arms for the beleaguered Catholics of the Falls Road in Belfast. He told them he would convey their request for a meeting to his superiors in the department.
Foreign service
His first foreign posting was to the Irish consulate in San Francisco in August 1971 – he and his college sweetheart, Maeve Farrell, from Ratoath, Co Meath, had just been married the previous month. After a few sojourns at the United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Gallagher found himself at the Irish Embassy in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
serving from 1973-1977 as press officer. He was present at the Sunningdale negotiations
Sunningdale Agreement
The Sunningdale Agreement was an attempt to establish a power-sharing Northern Ireland Executive and a cross-border Council of Ireland. The Agreement was signed at the Civil Service College in Sunningdale Park located in Sunningdale, Berkshire, on 9 December 1973.Unionist opposition, violence and...
in 1973, leading to the ill-fated powersharing deal. He was sent to Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
in the early 1980s as a deputy chef de cabinet
Chef de Cabinet
Chef de Cabinet is the head of an office in the United Nations Secretariat, appointed by the Secretary-General, or in the European Commission, appointed by an individual European Commissioner for his personal cabinet. The position's rank and responsibilities are equivalent to a chief of staff....
with the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
.
He got his first ambassadorial posting in 1985 – in far-off Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, where his contacts with Irish missionaries in particular taught him “a great deal about what matters in life”. He returned to Dublin to take charge of the Anglo-Irish division, with responsibility for Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
policy. That was the time of the Anglo-Irish Agreement
Anglo-Irish Agreement
The Anglo-Irish Agreement was an agreement between the United Kingdom and Ireland which aimed to help bring an end to the Troubles in Northern Ireland...
, which Charles Haughey
Charles Haughey
Charles James "Charlie" Haughey was Taoiseach of Ireland, serving three terms in office . He was also the fourth leader of Fianna Fáil...
had vehemently opposed in opposition. But when Haughey took over as Taoiseach in 1987 he told Gallagher he wanted the agreement implemented “fully and imaginatively”. He was appointed Ambassador to the US in 1991 where, as usual, he quickly developed a wide range of friendships and contacts. One of these was Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, then governor of Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
.
His White House contacts proved advantageous when the nascent Irish peace process faced its first major challenge: securing a US visa for Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
leader Gerry Adams
Gerry Adams
Gerry Adams is an Irish republican politician and Teachta Dála for the constituency of Louth. From 1983 to 1992 and from 1997 to 2011, he was an abstentionist Westminster Member of Parliament for Belfast West. He is the president of Sinn Féin, the second largest political party in Northern...
. After his posting in Washington DC he returned home in 1997 with the title of Second Secretary General. Bertie Ahern
Bertie Ahern
Patrick Bartholomew "Bertie" Ahern is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 26 June 1997 to 7 May 2008....
was Taoiseach and eager to make a contribution to peace in the North. Gallagher put together a team of officials for the negotiations at Stormont
Parliament Buildings (Northern Ireland)
The Parliament Buildings, known as Stormont because of its location in the Stormont area of Belfast is the seat of the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Northern Ireland Executive...
, including David Cooney, who now takes over from him as Secretary General. After the success of the Good Friday Agreement, Gallagher moved to the Department of the Taoiseach as Secretary General of that department. After his departure, this post was combined with the position of Secretary-General to the Government, under Dermot McCarthy
Dermot McCarthy
Dermot McCarthy is the Secretary General to the Government of Ireland and Secretary General to the Department of the Taoiseach . He occupies two of the three most senior offices in the Irish Civil Service....
. Then it was back to Iveagh House as that department’s Secretary-General.
Academic career
The Governing Authority of University College DublinUniversity College Dublin
University College Dublin ) - formally known as University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin is the Republic of Ireland's largest, and Ireland's second largest, university, with over 1,300 faculty and 17,000 students...
approved the appointment of a new Chairman, Mr Dermot Gallagher on Tuesday, 24 February 2009. Mr Gallagher replaces Mr Kieran McGowan, who chaired the Governing Authority since February 2004. http://www.ucd.ie/news/2009/02FEB09/250209_gallagher.html