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Billy Lawless

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Billy Lawless
Lawless in 2016
Senator
In office
8 June 2016 – 29 June 2020
ConstituencyNominated by the Taoiseach
Personal details
Born
William Lawless

(1950-12-24)24 December 1950
Galway, Ireland
Died8 November 2024(2024-11-08) (aged 73)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Political partyIndependent
Spouse
Anne Lawless
(m. 1980)
Children4

Billy Lawless (24 December 1950 – 8 November 2024) was an Irish independent politician and businessman who served as a Senator from 2016 to 2020, after being nominated by the Taoiseach.[1][2] Lawless was from Rahoon, County Galway.

In the 1980s, he was chair of Fine Gael in the Galway West constituency and stood unsuccessfully for Galway City Council in 1991.[3][4] He emigrated to Chicago in 1998, having always had plans to open a business in the U.S. He made the decision after his daughter received a rowing scholarship to Boston University.[5]

Lawless owned five restaurants in the Chicago area, employing 460 people,[6] and was a board member and co-founder of the Illinois Business Immigration Coalition (IBIC) and chair of Chicago Celts for Immigration Reform.[6]

Lawless was credited with helping the cause of Irish immigrants and undocumented Irish in America, and was made Freeman of Galway in 2015 for these efforts.[6] He was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate by NUI Galway in June 2015.[7] On 11 May 2016, Taoiseach Enda Kenny appointed Lawless to the 25th Seanad, making him the first overseas Irish senator.[8]

Lawless had close ties to the Obama administration and was chosen to introduce the President when he announced his plans for immigration reform.[9] He was an unsuccessful candidate at the 2021 Seanad by-elections. In 2021, Lawless was awarded the Irish Presidential Distinguished Service Award for Irish Community Support.[10]

Lawless died in Chicago on 8 November 2024, at the age of 73.[11][12]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Billy Lawless". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 6 August 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  2. ^ "Pieta House founder among Kenny's Seanad nominees". RTÉ News. 27 May 2016. Archived from the original on 27 May 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  3. ^ "Billy Lawless". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 22 February 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  4. ^ Devine, Catherine (30 May 2016). "New Senator: Giving Enda's daughter a J1 job in Chicago 'not cronyism'". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 30 May 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  5. ^ Clarke, Vivienne (30 May 2016). "Billy Lawless: Giving Kenny's daughter J1 job 'not cronyism'". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 30 May 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  6. ^ a b c O'Shea, Jamie (28 May 2016). "Billy Lawless named as first ever emigrant senator by Irish leader". Irish Central. Archived from the original on 29 May 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  7. ^ "Honorary Conferrings". Cois Coiribe. Winter 2015. p. 49.
  8. ^ "Chicagoan Billy Lawless Appointed to Irish Seanad by Taoiseach Enda Kenny". Irish American News. Archived from the original on 17 June 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  9. ^ O'Shea, James (29 May 2016). "New Irish emigrant senator under fire for Fine Gael, Kenny links". Irish Central. Archived from the original on 4 July 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  10. ^ "Press Release". Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  11. ^ "Death announced of former senator Billy Lawless who built successful pub business in Chicago". The Irish Times. 8 November 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  12. ^ "Former senator Billy Lawless has died aged 73". BreakingNews.ie. 8 November 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2024.