Seán Gallagher

Seán Gallagher
Born	(1962-07-07) July 7, 1962 Monaghan, Ireland
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, television personality, politician
Years active	1981–present
Known for	Co-founder of Smarthomes; panellist on Dragons' Den; 2011 and 2018 Irish presidential candidate

Seán Gallagher (born 7 July 1962) is an Irish entrepreneur and former reality television figure. He co-established Smarthomes in 2000, a venture that initially thrived but ultimately collapsed between 2008 and 2010, culminating in his exit by 2011. Between 2009 and 2011, Gallagher appeared as a panellist on RTÉ's Dragons' Den. He was involved with Fianna Fáil for three decades (1981–2011), holding positions on its National Executive on two occasions. Prior to founding Smarthomes, he was deeply engaged in Fianna Fáil activities and held various roles within the Irish public sector. Gallagher contested the presidency as an independent candidate in 2011, securing second place, and again ran in 2018, finishing third.

Early life and education

Gallagher was born in Monaghan in July 1962 and grew up in a family of six in Ballyhaise, County Cavan. His father originated from Killygordon, Donegal. Due to congenital cataracts, he was effectively blind until the age of three; after corrective surgery, his vision improved, though he identifies as "visually impaired."

His schooling included Saint Mary's National School in Glin and Saint Patrick's College in Cavan until 1980. In 1981, he obtained a National Certificate in Agriculture from Teagasc Agricultural College at Ballyhaise and worked on the college farm until a severe car accident in 1983 necessitated rehabilitation. Gallagher later enrolled at Maynooth University in 1985, where he earned a Diploma in Youth Work and Community Development by 1987.

During his tenure as assistant CEO of the Louth County Enterprise Board (1995–2000), Gallagher pursued further education, completing a Diploma in Management at Dundalk Institute of Technology (1997–1999) followed by an MBA from the University of Ulster in 2000.

Public service career

From 1988 until June 2000, Gallagher held various positions within Irish State agencies and departments. It remains unclear whether these roles were full-time or part-time; during the 1990s, he also worked as a fitness instructor and massage therapist.

Between 1988 and 1990, he acted as Project Co-ordinator for the National Youth Council of Ireland and the Department of Health, where he developed Drink Awareness for Young People, Ireland’s inaugural national alcohol education initiative. From 1990 to 1993, Gallagher served as a full-time political advisor to then Fianna Fáil TD and Minister for Health Rory O'Hanlon. After O'Hanlon lost his ministerial position in 1992, Gallagher transitioned to become an Enterprise Officer at the Blanchardstown Area Development Partnership from 1993 to 1995.

In May 1995, at age 32, Gallagher relocated to Blackrock, County Louth to assume the role of assistant CEO at the Louth County Enterprise Board. His duties encompassed fostering microenterprise growth through financial assistance, training programs, and mentoring. Additionally, he held directorships with both the Louth Tourism Company and the Louth Leader Rural Development Agency.

Smarthomes Limited (2000–2010)

In June 2000, at age 38, Gallagher departed from the Louth County Enterprise Board ("LCEB") to co-found Home Wiring Systems Limited ("HWSL") alongside electrical tool manufacturer Derek Roddy. HWSL operated as an electrical contractor specializing in wiring solutions for contemporary homes. The company received a start-up loan of €25,395 from LCEB in 2001. By September 2002, HWSL had rebranded itself as Smarthomes Limited.

Smarthomes garnered several accolades including the Deloitte "Fast 50 Award" in 2005; Gallagher was also shortlisted for the Ernst & Young "Entrepreneur of the Year" award in 2006. The business attracted €750,000 through Business Expansion Scheme ("BES") investors in 2005 and obtained grant-loans totaling €830,000 from Irish State agencies between 2004 and 2007.

Revenue expanded from roughly €1 million in 2004 to about €7 million by 2006, reaching a peak pre-tax profit near €500,000 (a margin of approximately 7%). In December 2006, then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern officially opened Smarthomes' new headquarters where Gallagher unveiled intentions to invest €10 million and create around 100 new jobs. However, the company only broke even during 2007 before incurring losses of €652,000 in 2008 and €540,000 in 2009. Despite these deficits, Gallagher and Roddy collectively withdrew €542,500 from Smarthomes in 2008 and €316,000 in 2009. BES investors expressed concerns regarding rent payments and royalties made to directors but agreed to convert loans into equity by March 2010 under a revised business strategy that included transferring patents back from directors to the company. Gallagher left Smarthomes in 2010 and sold his shares by the following year.

Smarthomes returned to modest profitability during the period of 2011–12. Although still operational as of 2017, company directors shifted their focus primarily toward their climote enterprise.

State boards (2007–2012)

On 13 December 2007, Mary Coughlan, then Fianna Fáil Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, appointed Gallagher to serve on the Board of InterTradeIreland, a cross-border Irish trade organisation, with his term lasting until 2011. This appointment came after his role as Director of Elections for Fianna Fáil parliamentary party leader Séamus Kirk. During his time on the board, InterTradeIreland invested €41,970 in Gallagher's company Smarthomes, and he participated in 22 out of 36 board meetings.

In January 2010, following his election to the Fianna Fáil National Executive in 2009, Gallagher was appointed by Mary Coughlan to the Board of FÁS, where he served until 2012. Subsequently, in June 2010, Fianna Fáil Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey named him Chair of the Drogheda Port Company. He held this leadership role until 2012, overseeing significant development projects.

Irish television (2009–2016)

Gallagher joined the RTÉ One edition of Dragons' Den as an investor in October 2008 and remained on the show through the 2011 season. In August 2009, he emerged victorious in the charity boxing reality series Charity Lords of the Ring, raising €17,350 for the National Council for the Blind of Ireland. Later, in March 2016, Gallagher appeared as a celebrity chef on TV3’s cooking programme The Restaurant.

Consulting (since 2009)

After Smarthomes wound down in 2009, Gallagher redirected his efforts towards business consultancy, motivational speaking, and journalism. His earnings were channelled through Beech House Training and Consultants Limited (BHTC). During the 2011 Presidential campaign, BHTC’s financial records came under examination due to a Director Loan amounting to €82,829—representing approximately 70% of BHTC’s net assets—raising questions about possible tax avoidance. Furthermore, reports indicated that some investments featured on Dragons' Den were financed using fees from BHTC, leading to inquiries about Gallagher’s overall financial standing.

In February 2018, Gallagher joined Nutribrand’s board—a vitamin patch start-up holding nearly $2.42 million in assets mainly derived from patents—despite reporting net losses totaling $263,311 within nine months. Later that year, he was named as one of two Directors at Clyde Real Estate, a company specialising in regional industrial and office leasing. Concurrently, his motivational speaking activities were conducted under Business Matters Limited.

Fianna Fáil (1981–2011)

Seán Gallagher became a member of Fianna Fáil at age 22 in 1981 and by 1984 had assumed the role of Chair for Cavan’s Ógra Comhairle Dáilcheantair. He subsequently advanced to become national leader of Ógra Fianna Fáil and served on the National Executive alongside Charlie Haughey from 1985 to 1987. Following this period, he worked full-time at Fianna Fáil headquarters with a focus on fundraising initiatives.

Between 1990 and 1993, Gallagher acted as a political adviser to Fianna Fáil TD and Minister for Health Rory O'Hanlon, during which time he developed extensive networks across government departments. He has stated that from 1993 until 2007 he was not actively involved in party affairs; however, in 2007 he managed the election campaign for Louth TD Séamus Kirk.

While serving as CEO of SmartHomes in 2006, Gallagher took on the role of Director of Elections for Kirk amid threats from Sinn Féin to Kirk’s seat. Kirk ultimately topped the poll in the 2007 general election, outperforming fellow Fianna Fáil candidate and then Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern. In 2008, Gallagher organised a fundraiser charging €5,000 per attendee for Taoiseach Brian Cowen, an event that later received scrutiny during Gallagher’s presidential bid in 2011.

Gallagher secured election to Fianna Fáil’s National Executive representing Louth in 2009 but resigned from this position in January 2011. Additionally, he left his local Ravensdale Cummann branch in March 2010.

2011 presidential campaign

In May 2011, reports emerged that Gallagher intended to seek nomination for the 2011 Irish presidential election. By June, he had reached out to Fianna Fáil Oireachtas members, proposing to stand as an Independent candidate with a loosely affiliated "semi-detached" connection to the party. He obtained the final nomination needed from a local council and officially submitted his candidacy on 27 September 2011. Gallagher inaugurated his campaign at the Royal Hibernian Academy in Dublin on 2 October, prioritizing social media over traditional poster advertising, ultimately achieving the highest number of Facebook followers and the second highest presence on Twitter among all contenders.

Although early polls initially placed him low in voter preference, RED C surveys in early October elevated him to second place, trailing only Higgins. As his polling figures improved, increased scrutiny was directed at his business background and links to Fianna Fáil, particularly concerning €830,000 in State grants awarded to Smarthomes—an amount surpassing the company’s profits and the earnings drawn by Gallagher and co-founder Derek Roddy. Investigations also revealed seed capital from LCEB and Gallagher’s efforts to avoid repayment obligations. His appointments to three State Boards after joining the Fianna Fáil National Executive in 2009 attracted further attention; Gallagher claimed some of the fees received were donated to charitable causes. He sought to distance himself from Fianna Fáil, asserting that the party had drifted away from its grassroots origins.

Following his tenure with Smarthomes, Gallagher encountered criticism over €82,829 in Director loans deemed inappropriate but subsequently repaid. Journalists questioned his millionaire status and noted that some investments made on Dragons' Den were compensated through fees rather than direct investment, with certain companies not receiving the promised funding.

After participating in three debates in early October, a RED C poll conducted on 16 October placed Gallagher in first position with 39%, ahead of Higgins at 27%. He maintained this lead through subsequent debates and final polls later that month.

Nevertheless, during a final debate on Pat Kenny's The Frontline on 24 October, Gallagher suffered a significant blow when Martin McGuinness alleged that Gallagher had collected a €5,000 cheque linked to a 2008 Fianna Fáil fundraiser—a claim Gallagher refuted. A live tweet suggesting an imminent press conference by the accuser was later exposed as fabricated. Gallagher responded by labeling the accuser a "convicted criminal and fuel smuggler," though he also made remarks that appeared to weaken his denial of ties to Fianna Fáil.

On 25 October, Hugh Morgan publicly asserted that Gallagher had indeed collected the cheque; Gallagher denied this once more. McGuinness stated he believed he had "done a service" by bringing the matter to light. Additional examination was directed at accounts of Gallagher’s consulting firm BHTC and related Director loans. UCD Professor Niamh Brennan described BHTC’s financial statements as having an unfavorable impression. During Pat Kenny's radio programme, Gallagher questioned the intentions of an audience member who raised concerns about the loan; this individual later identified herself as Glenna Lynch, an interior designer knowledgeable about revenue regulations who would subsequently join the Social Democrats.

On 27 October, Gallagher secured 28.5% of first preference votes, finishing second behind Michael D. Higgins. A final RTÉ poll revealed notable voter movement away from Gallagher during the campaign’s concluding week.

On 7 March 2012, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland upheld a complaint filed by Gallagher regarding RTÉ’s handling of an unverified tweet broadcast during The Frontline. Subsequently, in December 2017, RTÉ reached a legal settlement with Gallagher amounting to €130,000 connected to this matter.

2018 presidential campaign

In August 2018, Gallagher declared his candidacy for the 2018 Irish presidential election. By 10 September, he had obtained nominations from four county councils, making him the second contender after the sitting president, Michael D. Higgins. A poll conducted in mid-September positioned Gallagher in second place with 15% support, significantly trailing Higgins, who led with 67%, marking his peak polling figure during the campaign.

During an interview with the Irish Independent on 23 September, Gallagher acknowledged that he had not actively engaged in campaigning on several key social issues central to his agenda, attributing this to limited resources. Concerning a €130,000 settlement received from RTÉ, he explained that these funds were allocated for his children's educational expenses.

Gallagher voiced criticism of the costs associated with the presidency and pledged on 29 September to opt for accommodations in Irish embassies overseas instead of upscale hotels. In the initial radio debate held on 10 October, he raised concerns about excessive expenditure, referencing reports of hotel stays costing up to €3,000 per night. On 12 October, he advocated for a public examination of presidential spending; however, the State dismissed this proposal as unnecessary given existing transparency regulations.

He commended Higgins as an "inspiring politician," emphasizing his intention to "follow Michael D’s legacy rather than replace him."

The Irish Times characterized Gallagher's campaign video as an "electrifying display of grand patriotic rhetoric." On 15 October, Gallagher reproached Higgins for missing several televised debates, describing it as "disrespectful to the Irish public." The final significant poll before voting day indicated Gallagher at 11%, while Higgins maintained a strong lead at 69%.

On election day, 26 October 2018, Gallagher secured 6.41% of first preference votes, finishing third behind Peter Casey (23.25%) and incumbent Michael D. Higgins (55.81%).

Personal life

Gallagher married Irene McCausland in 1997 during his tenure at the Louth County Enterprise Board; their marriage ended in divorce two years later in 1999. In 2010, he wed Patricia "Trish" O'Connor, who works as a cosmetics representative from Kanturk, County Cork. The couple formerly resided in Blackrock, County Louth and currently live in Delgany, County Wicklow with their two children. Gallagher holds first dan black belts in both Judo and Karate.