Matt Gallagher (businessman)

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Matt Gallagher (15 February 1915 – 7 January 1974) was an Irish property developer who founded the Gallagher Group. He was born in Cashel, County Sligo, one of many children of a farmer, and grew up working on the family land. He left school early to help on the farm and later played Gaelic football. In 1932 he moved to England, where he worked on farms and building sites, sending most of his wages home to Cashel.

During World War II, Matt and his brothers bought trucks and began transporting materials for factories and building projects. They grew their fleet and, as air raids intensified, moved operations to Lancashire and then to London to aid reconstruction after the war. In 1945 they started a private housing project at St Albans, one of the first after the war. The family also continued to work on public housing and demolition sites.

In 1946 Matt married Patricia Sheeran. By 1949 the Gallaghers returned to Ireland, with Matt splitting his time between London and Dublin before settling in Santry, Dublin, around 1950. They formed a Dublin partnership and began with small local housing contracts, eventually moving into private developments. The brothers diversified, creating joinery businesses, a plumbing company, and factories for builders’ hardware. Matt briefly left the business in 1957 and retired to a farm and mansion, but was urged back to work.

In 1958 he took over Paramount Builders Limited, the company that would become the Gallagher Group. He helped drive home-building in Dublin suburbs and expanded into other parts of the country. He built a wide network of political and business contacts, notably with Fianna Fáil and Seán Lemass, and later with Charles Haughey. He became a prominent donor to the party and helped fund and shape political ties. He was involved in various financial arrangements and, at times, controversial tax and banking activity through close associates.

Matt Gallagher’s business grew rapidly in the 1960s and early 1970s, completing thousands of homes and expanding into commercial projects. He also owned pubs and invested in other ventures, including a stud farm. However, the 1973-1974 oil crisis and a tightening credit climate hit his business hard. The Central Bank pressured his group to reduce its banking exposure, and he sold some assets to survive. He died suddenly at his home on 7 January 1974, leaving behind his wife and seven children. His son Patrick later became head of the Gallagher Group, continuing the family business.