Matt Gallagher

Matt Gallagher (15 February 1915 – 7 January 1974) was an Irish property developer and businessperson who founded the Gallagher Group. Early life and family Matt Gallagher was born in Cashel, Curry parish, County Sligo on 15 February 1915. His parents were Matthew, a farmer, and his wife Margaret Gallagher (née Reilly). He had 13 siblings. Gallagher was educated at Moylough national school, while also working on the family farm. He played Gaelic football, and was on part of the Curry team that won the 1930 Sligo minor championship, leading to him being selected for the Sligo minors. He left for England in summer 1932, following a road works contract which yielded him just £17 profit. Life in England Gallagher began work in England as a farm labourer in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, later working on building sites, which led to him moving around the country. He mostly sent his salary back to his family in Cashel, and visited every couple of years. His younger brother eventually came with him to England. In early 1939 Gallagher pooled his savings with his brothers Joe, Dan, Hubert, and James, to put a down payment on 2 trucks. They used these to transport materials that were used to build factories, runways and raid shelters for the British World War II preparations. At first they worked out of Liverpool, but when the air raids on British cities began in 1940, they moved to a shale pit in Lancashire which they leased. They also commenced hauling landfill to bombsites. On one occasion, Gallagher continued to work on a site during and air raid, only leaving when the planes were overhead. This inspired his brother James to say that he was "the king of our family and the king of Ireland as far as I'm concerned". The brothers grew their fleet to 10 trucks, which resulted in them securing an 18-month government contract to transport farm labourers. By 1944 the Gallaghers had 100 trucks with 90 on hire, and they moved to London where they began delivering materials for reconstruction. In 1945 they were among the first to engage in the pending housing boom, building a housing development at St Albans, one of the first post-war private developments. The new Labour government banned private home building, but the Gallaghers continued to work demolishing air raid shelters and working on public housing contracts. Gallagher met and married Patricia Sheeran in 1946, and the couple lived in Tottenham with his brother James and his wife. They lived above their restaurant.