Dermot Gleeson
Encyclopedia
Dermot Gleeson is a barrister
, former Irish government advisor and businessman born in Cork
, Ireland
in 1949. He is married with four children and lives in Dublin.
Educated in Blackrock College
, Dublin, Gleeson holds B.A.
and LL.M degrees and qualified as a barrister at the King's Inns
, Dublin. His father was formerly a solicitor and barrister and was later appointed a Circuit Court Judge and some of his brothers (John and Michael another brother is a practising General practitioner Dr. Tim Gleeson) also work as lawyers (Senior Counsel). Called to the Irish bar in 1970 he first practised outside of Dublin, Ireland's main legal centre, on the Cork Circuit. In the early 1970s he was a part time lecturer in Constitutional Law at University College Cork. He then moved to the capital when he was appointed a Senior Counsel
in 1979 when only 30 years old. He is believed to have been the youngest ever "silk" appointed anywhere in the common law world in modern times. (To put this into context, other noted barristers, who took silk at an early age, such as the late Australian Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies
and one time British Home Secretary David Maxwell Fyfe were lauded when they became Queen's Counsel at 35 and 34 years of age respectively.)
Gleeson was Ireland's leading barrister in the 1980s and 1990s before he became a senior government advisor and then a businessman. From 1994–1997 he was chief legal advisor to the government of Taoiseach
John Bruton
, serving as Attorney General of Ireland
. Gleeson is a Bencher of King's Inns and it is likely that he would have been appointed to high judicial office had he indicated an interest and left his lucrative practice. He is also a Visiting Fellow at the School of Law at University College, Dublin. In more recent years he has become well known for his business career. In 2000 he joined the board of Independent News and Media Plc as a non-executive director and in 2003 he was appointed Chairman of Ireland's largest bank Allied Irish Banks
. His time in charge of AIB resulted in the enormous drops in the share price, leading to the infamous 'egging' incident at the May 2009 shareholder's meeting. In 2003 he was appointed ombudsman for the Diamond Trading Company (DTC), the marketing offshoot of diamond mining giant De Beers
. In 2007 he was appointed chairman of the Governing Body of University College, Cork.
Gleeson is a former Auditor of the Literary and Historical Society, University College Dublin
, and winner of the Irish Times National Debating Championship
.
Gleeson attended the Bilderberg group
meeting in Greece in 2009.
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
, former Irish government advisor and businessman born in Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
in 1949. He is married with four children and lives in Dublin.
Educated in Blackrock College
Blackrock College
Blackrock College is a Catholic voluntary secondary school for boys aged 14–18, located in Williamstown, Blackrock, County Dublin, Ireland. The College was founded by French missionaries in 1860, to act as a school and civil service training centre. Set in of grounds, it has an illustrious...
, Dublin, Gleeson holds B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
and LL.M degrees and qualified as a barrister at the King's Inns
King's Inns
The Honorable Society of King's Inns , is the institution which controls the entry of barristers-at-law into the justice system of Ireland...
, Dublin. His father was formerly a solicitor and barrister and was later appointed a Circuit Court Judge and some of his brothers (John and Michael another brother is a practising General practitioner Dr. Tim Gleeson) also work as lawyers (Senior Counsel). Called to the Irish bar in 1970 he first practised outside of Dublin, Ireland's main legal centre, on the Cork Circuit. In the early 1970s he was a part time lecturer in Constitutional Law at University College Cork. He then moved to the capital when he was appointed a Senior Counsel
Senior Counsel
The title of Senior Counsel or State Counsel is given to a senior barrister or advocate in some countries, typically equivalent to the title "Queen's Counsel" used in Commonwealth Realms...
in 1979 when only 30 years old. He is believed to have been the youngest ever "silk" appointed anywhere in the common law world in modern times. (To put this into context, other noted barristers, who took silk at an early age, such as the late Australian Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies
Robert Menzies
Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, , Australian politician, was the 12th and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia....
and one time British Home Secretary David Maxwell Fyfe were lauded when they became Queen's Counsel at 35 and 34 years of age respectively.)
Gleeson was Ireland's leading barrister in the 1980s and 1990s before he became a senior government advisor and then a businessman. From 1994–1997 he was chief legal advisor to the government of Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
John Bruton
John Bruton
John Gerard Bruton is an Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 1994 to 1997. A minister under two taoisigh, Liam Cosgrave and Garret FitzGerald, Bruton held a number of the top posts in Irish government, including Minister for Finance , and Minister for Industry, Trade,...
, serving as Attorney General of Ireland
Attorney General of Ireland
The Attorney General is a constitutional officer who is the official adviser to the Government of Ireland in matters of law. He is in effect the chief law officer in Ireland. The Attorney General is not a member of the Government but does participate in cabinet meetings when invited and attends...
. Gleeson is a Bencher of King's Inns and it is likely that he would have been appointed to high judicial office had he indicated an interest and left his lucrative practice. He is also a Visiting Fellow at the School of Law at University College, Dublin. In more recent years he has become well known for his business career. In 2000 he joined the board of Independent News and Media Plc as a non-executive director and in 2003 he was appointed Chairman of Ireland's largest bank Allied Irish Banks
Allied Irish Banks
Allied Irish Banks p.l.c. is a major commercial bank based in Ireland.AIB is one of the so called "big four" commercial banks in the state. The bank has one of the largest branch networks in Ireland; only Bank of Ireland fully rivals it. AIB offers a full range of personal and corporate banking...
. His time in charge of AIB resulted in the enormous drops in the share price, leading to the infamous 'egging' incident at the May 2009 shareholder's meeting. In 2003 he was appointed ombudsman for the Diamond Trading Company (DTC), the marketing offshoot of diamond mining giant De Beers
De Beers
De Beers is a family of companies that dominate the diamond, diamond mining, diamond trading and industrial diamond manufacturing sectors. De Beers is active in every category of industrial diamond mining: open-pit, underground, large-scale alluvial, coastal and deep sea...
. In 2007 he was appointed chairman of the Governing Body of University College, Cork.
Gleeson is a former Auditor of the Literary and Historical Society, University College Dublin
Literary and Historical Society, University College Dublin
The Literary and Historical Society is the oldest debating society in University College, Dublin , and is the official College Debating Union. Founded in 1855 by Father John Henry Newman , it is one of the most prestigious and well-known student societies in Ireland...
, and winner of the Irish Times National Debating Championship
Irish Times National Debating Championship
The Irish Times National Debating Championship is a debating competition for students in higher education in Ireland. It has been run since 1960, sponsored by The Irish Times...
.
Gleeson attended the Bilderberg group
Bilderberg Group
The Bilderberg Group, Bilderberg conference, or Bilderberg Club is an annual, unofficial, invitation-only conference of approximately 120 to 140 guests from North America and Western Europe, most of whom are people of influence. About one-third are from government and politics, and two-thirds from...
meeting in Greece in 2009.
External links
- http://lawlibrary.ie/members/barrister.asp?barID=72