Billy_Lawless

Billy Lawless

Billy Lawless

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Billy Lawless (born 24 December 1950) is an Irish former Independent politician and businessman who served as a Senator from 2016 to 2020, after being nominated by the Taoiseach.[1][2] Lawless is a native of 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 harboured plans to open a business in the U.S. He made the decision after his daughter received a rowing scholarship to Boston University.[5]

Quick Facts Senator, Constituency ...

Family currently owns five restaurants in the Chicago area, employing 460 people,[6] and is a board member and co-founder of the Illinois Business Immigration Coalition (IBIC) and Chair of Chicago Celts for Immigration Reform.[6]

Lawless has been 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]

References

  1. [1]
    "Billy Lawless". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 6 August 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  2. [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. [3]
    "Billy Lawless". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 22 February 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  4. [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. [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. [6]
    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. [7]
    "Honorary Conferrings". Cois Coiribe. Winter 2015. p. 49.
  8. [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. [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. [10]
    "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 12 December 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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