Billy Lawless Explained

Billy Lawless
Office:Senator
Term Start:11 May 2016
Term End:27 March 2020
Constituency:Nominated by the Taoiseach
Birth Name:William Lawless
Birth Date:24 December 1950
Birth Place:Galway, Ireland
Nationality:Irish
Party:Independent
Spouse:Anne Lawless
Children:4

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]

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.

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. 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]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Billy Lawless. Oireachtas Members Database. 6 August 2019. 6 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190806204421/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Billy-Lawless.S.2016-04-25/. live.
  2. Web site: Pieta House founder among Kenny's Seanad nominees. RTÉ News. 27 May 2016. 27 May 2016. 27 May 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160527222035/http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/0527/791478-seanad/. live.
  3. Web site: Billy Lawless. ElectionsIreland.org. 22 February 2010. 22 February 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110222124507/http://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?id=8912. live.
  4. News: Devine. Catherine. New Senator: Giving Enda's daughter a J1 job in Chicago 'not cronyism'. 30 May 2016. Irish Independent. 30 May 2016. 30 May 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160530180331/http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/new-senator-giving-endas-daughter-a-j1-job-in-chicago-not-cronyism-34757754.html. live.
  5. News: Clarke. Vivienne. Billy Lawless: Giving Kenny's daughter J1 job 'not cronyism'. 30 May 2016. The Irish Times. 30 May 2016. 30 May 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160530205025/http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/billy-lawless-giving-kenny-s-daughter-j1-job-not-cronyism-1.2665755. live.
  6. News: O'Shea. Jamie. Billy Lawless named as first ever emigrant senator by Irish leader. 30 May 2016. Irish Central. 28 May 2016. 29 May 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160529122814/http://www.irishcentral.com/news/politics/Billy-Lawless-named-as-first-ever-emigrant-senator-by-Irish-leader.html. live.
  7. News: Honorary Conferrings. Cois Coiribe. Winter 2015. 49.
  8. News: Chicagoan Billy Lawless Appointed to Irish Seanad by Taoiseach Enda Kenny . https://web.archive.org/web/20160617035739/http://www.irishamericannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6387:chicagoan-billy-lawless-appointed-to-irish-seanad-by-taoiseach-enda-kenny&catid=81:europe&Itemid=197 . dead . 17 June 2016 . 30 May 2016 . Irish American News.
  9. News: James . O'Shea . New Irish emigrant senator under fire for Fine Gael, Kenny links . Irish Central . 29 May 2016 . 22 June 2020 . 4 July 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160704111948/http://www.irishcentral.com/news/New-Irish-emigrant-senator-under-fire-for-Fine-Gael-Kenny-links.html . live.
  10. Web site: Archived copy . 12 December 2021 . 12 December 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211212115906/https://www.dfa.ie/news-and-media/press-release/press-release-archive/2021/october . dead .

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Billy Lawless".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.