Paul Gallagher (barrister)
Encyclopedia
Paul Gallagher was Attorney General of Ireland
from his appointment by President
Mary McAleese
in 2007 until 9 March 2011. He succeeded Rory Brady
and was succeeded by Máire Whelan
.
He attended the Tralee Christian Brothers
national school before going to Castleknock College
for his secondary education.
He did two degrees in UCD
, a BCL
and a B.A.
in history
and economics
, completing his BL in the King's Inns
at the same time. He then did an LLM in Cambridge, a few years before his now Government colleague Brian Lenihan
did a law degree there. He returned to Ireland to be called to the Bar in 1979. He was called on the same day as his friend and predecessor as Attorney-General, Rory Brady
.
He became a senior counsel
in 1991, and a Bencher of the King’s Inns in 2005. He was vice-chairman of the Bar Council from 1995 to 1996, and served as chairman of its European law sub-committee. He is considered close to Rory Brady, and it is thought that Brady would have recommended him for the post to Ahern.
Before his appointment he had a practice that ranged from European to defamation law, including commercial and chancery. Some of the biggest names in Irish business were among his clients. They included the Fitzwilton Group in its challenge to the Mahon tribunal; PJ Carroll in a challenge to tobacco legislation; the VHI in its row with Bupa
over risk-equalisation; Meath County Council
in the challenge to the M3 motorway route through the Skryne valley; and the State in its opposition to the attempt by Katherine Zappone
and Anne-Louise Gilligan to have their Canadian marriage
recognised.
He was nominated as Attorney-General by Taoiseach
Bertie Ahern
on June 14, 2007, and renominated by Brian Cowen
on 6 May 2008. He is said to be in the office from 7am until 7pm, taking a 15-minute lunch-break.
In an Irish Times article it was reported that "He is an impressive public speaker, often speaking at length without notes in speeches that can range over Greek philosophy
and the place of law in society, before concluding with remarks of pithy relevance to the subject in hand. After he spoke at an international conference of collaborative lawyers a year ago, before the US election
, one of the American delegates was heard to sigh: “I wish he was our attorney general.”"
He is married to fellow barrister Blathna Ruane, and they have three sons. His interests include sport, where he is passionate about all forms of football. He plays soccer and attends both GAA
and rugby matches.
Gallagher attended the 2010 and 2011 Bilderberg Group
meetings, which were held respectively in Sitges
, Spain and St. Moritz
, Switzerland .
Attorney General of Ireland
The Attorney General is a constitutional officer who is the official adviser to the Government of Ireland in matters of law. He is in effect the chief law officer in Ireland. The Attorney General is not a member of the Government but does participate in cabinet meetings when invited and attends...
from his appointment by President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
Mary McAleese
Mary McAleese
Mary Patricia McAleese served as the eighth President of Ireland from 1997 to 2011. She was the second female president and was first elected in 1997 succeeding Mary Robinson, making McAleese the world's first woman to succeed another as president. She was re-elected unopposed for a second term in...
in 2007 until 9 March 2011. He succeeded Rory Brady
Rory Brady
Rory Brady was a barrister. He was Attorney General of Ireland from 2002 to 2007, and also served on the Council of State. Internationally, he sat on the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. He was later a visiting fellow at Harvard University in the United States...
and was succeeded by Máire Whelan
Máire Whelan
Máire R Whelan SC is an Irish barrister and senior counsel who was appointed to the post of Attorney General on 9 March 2011 by President Mary McAleese on the nomination of the Taoiseach...
.
He attended the Tralee Christian Brothers
Congregation of Christian Brothers
The Congregation of Christian Brothers is a worldwide religious community within the Catholic Church, founded by Blessed Edmund Rice. The Christian Brothers, as they are commonly known, chiefly work for the evangelisation and education of youth, but are involved in many ministries, especially with...
national school before going to Castleknock College
Castleknock College
Castleknock College is a private , secondary school for boys aged between 13 and 18, which is situated in the residential suburb of Castleknock, 8 km west of the city centre in Dublin, Ireland.-History:...
for his secondary education.
He did two degrees in UCD
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...
, a BCL
BCL
BCL may stand for:*BCL, an Algerian company that produces light infantry vehicles for the National Popular Army* the ISO 639-3 code for the Central Bikolano language*Bachelor of Civil Law, the name of various degrees in law in English-speaking countries...
and a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
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...
and economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, completing his BL in the King's Inns
King's Inns
The Honorable Society of King's Inns , is the institution which controls the entry of barristers-at-law into the justice system of Ireland...
at the same time. He then did an LLM in Cambridge, a few years before his now Government colleague Brian Lenihan
Brian Lenihan, Jnr
Brian Joseph Lenihan was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and barrister who served in the government of Ireland as Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform from 2007 to 2008 and as Minister for Finance from 2008 to 2011...
did a law degree there. He returned to Ireland to be called to the Bar in 1979. He was called on the same day as his friend and predecessor as Attorney-General, Rory Brady
Rory Brady
Rory Brady was a barrister. He was Attorney General of Ireland from 2002 to 2007, and also served on the Council of State. Internationally, he sat on the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. He was later a visiting fellow at Harvard University in the United States...
.
He became a senior counsel
Senior Counsel
The title of Senior Counsel or State Counsel is given to a senior barrister or advocate in some countries, typically equivalent to the title "Queen's Counsel" used in Commonwealth Realms...
in 1991, and a Bencher of the King’s Inns in 2005. He was vice-chairman of the Bar Council from 1995 to 1996, and served as chairman of its European law sub-committee. He is considered close to Rory Brady, and it is thought that Brady would have recommended him for the post to Ahern.
Before his appointment he had a practice that ranged from European to defamation law, including commercial and chancery. Some of the biggest names in Irish business were among his clients. They included the Fitzwilton Group in its challenge to the Mahon tribunal; PJ Carroll in a challenge to tobacco legislation; the VHI in its row with Bupa
Bupa
Bupa is a large British healthcare organisation, with bases on three continents and more than ten million customers in over 200 countries. It is a private healthcare company, in direct contrast to the UK's National Health Services, which are tax-funded healthcare systems and do not require private...
over risk-equalisation; Meath County Council
Meath County Council
Meath County Council is the local authority which is responsible for County Meath in Ireland. The Council is responsible for housing and community, roads and transportation, urban planning and development, amenity and culture, and the environment. The head of the council has the title of...
in the challenge to the M3 motorway route through the Skryne valley; and the State in its opposition to the attempt by Katherine Zappone
Katherine Zappone
Katherine Zappone is a member of the Irish Human Rights Commission and an independent member of Seanad Éireann.Zappone was born in Washington state, and educated at Boston College , The Catholic University of America and University College Dublin...
and Anne-Louise Gilligan to have their Canadian marriage
Same-sex marriage in Canada
On July 20, 2005, Canada became the fourth country in the world and the first country in the Americas to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide with the enactment of the Civil Marriage Act which provided a gender-neutral marriage definition...
recognised.
He was nominated as Attorney-General by 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...
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....
on June 14, 2007, and renominated by Brian Cowen
Brian Cowen
Brian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May...
on 6 May 2008. He is said to be in the office from 7am until 7pm, taking a 15-minute lunch-break.
In an Irish Times article it was reported that "He is an impressive public speaker, often speaking at length without notes in speeches that can range over Greek philosophy
Greek philosophy
Ancient Greek philosophy arose in the 6th century BCE and continued through the Hellenistic period, at which point Ancient Greece was incorporated in the Roman Empire...
and the place of law in society, before concluding with remarks of pithy relevance to the subject in hand. After he spoke at an international conference of collaborative lawyers a year ago, before the US election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
, one of the American delegates was heard to sigh: “I wish he was our attorney general.”"
He is married to fellow barrister Blathna Ruane, and they have three sons. His interests include sport, where he is passionate about all forms of football. He plays soccer and attends both GAA
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
and rugby matches.
Gallagher attended the 2010 and 2011 Bilderberg Group
Bilderberg Group
The Bilderberg Group, Bilderberg conference, or Bilderberg Club is an annual, unofficial, invitation-only conference of approximately 120 to 140 guests from North America and Western Europe, most of whom are people of influence. About one-third are from government and politics, and two-thirds from...
meetings, which were held respectively in Sitges
Sitges
*Church of Sant Bartolomeu i Santa Tecla . It houses two Gothic sepulchres , belonging to the an older church located on the same site...
, Spain and St. Moritz
St. Moritz
St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
, Switzerland .