Redmond Gallagher (27 February 1914,

County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconn ...

– 31 October 2006,

Sagra, Alicante Sagra is a village in the province of Alicante and autonomous community of Valencia, Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ...

) was an Irish businessman and

racing driver Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...

. He was chairman of Urney confectionary company and a noted motorsport enthusiast.

Biography

Early life

Redmond Gallagher was born on 27 February 1914 at Dunwiley House,

Stranorlar Stranorlar () is a town, townland and civil parish in the Finn Valley of County Donegal, in Ireland. Stranorlar and Ballybofey (located on the other side of the River Finn) form ''the Twin Towns''. Transport The town is located at the junctio ...

, County Donegal. His father was Henry Thomas Gallagher, founder of

Urney Chocolates Urney Chocolates was a confectionery manufacturing business founded by the Gallagher family in County Tyrone, and once operating one of the largest chocolate factories in Europe. After sales as a going concern, ultimately to what would become ...

, while his mother,

Eileen Gallagher Eileen Gallagher (born Helen Mary Cullen; 9 September 1887 - 8 October 1976) was an Irish businesswoman who founded Urney Chocolates with her husband Harry Gallagher. She is believed to have been the first woman to work as a commercial sales r ...

, was a pioneering Irish businesswoman and relative of prominent nationalist

John Redmond John Edward Redmond (1 September 1856 – 6 March 1918) was an Irish nationalist politician, barrister, and MP in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. He was best known as leader of the moderate Irish Parliamentary Party (IPP) from 1 ...

. He was educated at

Belvedere College Belvedere College S.J. (sometimes St Francis Xavier's College) is a voluntary secondary school for boys in Dublin, Ireland. The school has numerous alumni in the arts, politics, sports, science, and business. History Belvedere owes its origin ...

, Dublin, where he was rugby captain. He wanted to become an engineer, but at his father's behest joined the family business of Urney instead, although he did also work as a steward at the Irish Grand Prix. In 1934, Gallagher travelled to Germany for work and at the

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...

industrial fair was introduced to

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

as he was doing the rounds.

Racing career and Urney

In the years following the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, Gallagher began racing his own self-built car "the

Leprechaun A leprechaun ( ga, leipreachán/luchorpán) is a diminutive supernatural being in Irish folklore, classed by some as a type of solitary fairy. They are usually depicted as little bearded men, wearing a coat and hat, who partake in mischief. ...

", which was modelled on the Cooper. He entered into the

1951 Formula One season The 1951 Formula One season was the fifth season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1951 World Championship of Drivers,1974 FIA Yearbook, Grey section, page 118 which commenced on 27 May 1951 and ended on 28 October after eigh ...

and drove the Leprechaun II for the

British Grand Prix The British Grand Prix is a Grand Prix motor race organised in the United Kingdom by the Royal Automobile Club. First held in 1926, the British Grand Prix has been held annually since 1948 and has been a round of the FIA Formula One World C ...

Silverstone Silverstone is a village and civil parish in Northamptonshire, England. It is about from Towcester on the former A43 main road, from the M1 motorway junction 15A and about from the M40 motorway junction 10, Northampton, Milton Keynes and B ...

. The 1000cc Leprechaun III was most successful and won a number of speed events. Gallagher then raced in a two-seater Gordini T15S for several races, including the

1953 RAC Tourist Trophy The 1953 RAC Tourist Trophy was a motor race for sports cars, held on 5 September 1953 at the Dundrod Circuit in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It was the sixth round of the 1953 World Sportscar Championship, held just six days after the previous ...

1954 RAC Tourist Trophy The 1954 RAC Tourist Trophy was a motor race for Sports Cars which took place on 11 September 1954 on the roads around Dundrod, (County Antrim, Northern Ireland). It was the 21st RAC Tourist Trophy and the fifth race of the 1954 World Sportscar Cham ...

and 1954 Wakefield Trophy at

The Curragh The Curragh ( ; ga, An Currach ) is a flat open plain of almost of common land in County Kildare. This area is well known for Irish horse breeding and training. The Irish National Stud is located on the edge of Kildare town, beside the f ...

, winning the latter. Gallagher continued racing from time to time until 1956, when he decided to return to the family business. Gallagher became chairman of Urney in 1958, forcibly taking control from his father. In 1963 to his father's dismay, he sold the family share in the company to W.R. Grace. Gallagher continued on as chairman for three more years before retiring in 1966. That same year, Thomas Headon, who had been a key figure in the company, died, thus depriving the company of its leadership. Urney declined in the 1970s as its new foreign owners lacked interest in the company. In 1981, the factory finally closed down.

Later life

Gallagher owned extensive lands in

County Kildare County Kildare ( ga, Contae Chill Dara) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the ...

and County Wexford, and was active in cattle farming. He also owned several race horses, notably 'Fiery Diplomat' who won many races in England, France and Ireland. Despite retiring from the family business, Gallagher retained his wider economic interests and was a director of Coras Trachtála. Gallagher emigrated to

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

in 1980 with his mistress Máirín McGrath, who was thirty-seven years his junior. He died at his villa in Sagra in 2006. He was survived by two children from his first marriage.

Biography

Early life

Racing career and Urney

Later life

References

Further reading