Seán O'Leary explained

Office:Judge of the High Court
Term Start:19 April 2002
Term End:9 September 2006
Nominator:Government of Ireland
Appointer:Mary McAleese
Office1:Judge of the Circuit Court
Term Start1:3 March 1995
Term End1:19 April 2002
Nominator1:Government of Ireland
Appointer1:Mary Robinson
Office2:Senator
Term Start2:23 February 1983
Term End2:25 April 1987
Term Start3:8 October 1981
Term End3:13 May 1982
Constituency3:Nominated by the Taoiseach
Office4:Lord Mayor of Cork
Term Start4:11 June 1972
Term End4:4 June 1973
Predecessor4:Timothy J. O'Sullivan
Successor4:Patrick Kerrigan
Birth Date:7 June 1941
Birth Place:Cork, Ireland
Death Place:Blackrock, Dublin, Ireland
Nationality:Irish
Party:Fine Gael
Children:5
Relatives:John Horgan (grandfather)
Education:St Finbarr's College, Farranferris

Seán Anthony O'Leary (7 June 1941 – 22 December 2006) was an Irish judge, politician and barrister who served as a judge of the High Court from 2002 to 2006, a judge of the Circuit Court from 1995 to 2002, a senator from 1981 to 1982 and 1983 to 1987, and Lord Mayor of Cork from 1972 to 1973.[1]

O'Leary was Lord Mayor of Cork from 1972 to 1973, having been a Fine Gael member of Cork City Council. He was an unsuccessful Fine Gael candidate for Dáil Éireann at the 1965, 1969, 1973 and 1977 general elections for various Cork constituencies. In 1981, he was nominated by the Taoiseach, Garret FitzGerald as a member of the 15th Seanad.[2] He was a political activist one of the group known as the 'National Handlers'. Prior to qualifying as a barrister, he was an accountant. He was nominated again as a senator in 1983, and served in the 17th Seanad from 1983 to 1987. He did not seek re-election in 1987.[2]

He was later appointed a Circuit Court judge and later again elevated to the High Court. He chaired enquiries into the proposed Luas light rail system for Dublin in 1997 and 1999, which were praised for their promptness. While a High Court judge, he served as Chairman of the Residential Institutions Redress Board. He died at his Dublin home on 22 December 2006.[2]

His grandfather John Horgan was a Teachta Dála (TD), as well as a Lord Mayor of Cork from 1941 to 1942.[3] [4]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Seán A. O'Leary. Oireachtas Members Database. 5 June 2012. 8 November 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181108190059/https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Sean-A-OLeary.S.1981-10-08. live.
  2. Web site: Seán A. O'Leary. ElectionsIreland.org. 5 June 2012. 14 April 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120414090259/http://www.electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=9135. live.
  3. Cadogan, Tim & Falvey, Jeremiah: A Biographical Dictionary of Cork p.138, Four Courts Press (2006),
  4. Web site: Previous Mayors of Cork. Cork City Council. 11 December 2022.