Brian Hillery facts for kids

Brian James Hillery (born 22 November 1937, died 19 January 2021) was an important Irish politician. He was a member of the Fianna Fáil political party. He worked as a Senator for many years. He was also a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dún Laoghaire area. A TD is like a Member of Parliament in other countries.

Brian Hillery's Life and Work

Early Life and Education

Brian Hillery went to University College Dublin (UCD) in Ireland. He also studied at the University of Georgia in the United States. Before becoming a professor, he worked in banking. In 1967, he joined the UCD staff. He became a professor of Industrial Relations in 1974. This field studies how workers and employers get along.

Family and Politics

Brian Hillery's uncle was Patrick Hillery. Patrick Hillery was also a politician. He was a TD and a Minister. Later, he became the President of Ireland. This shows that politics ran in the Hillery family.

Serving as a Senator

In 1977, Brian Hillery was elected to the 14th Seanad. The Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Irish parliament. He was a Senator for the Fianna Fáil party. He served as a Senator for several terms. These terms were from 1977 to 1982, 1983 to 1989, and 1992 to 1997.

Becoming a Teachta Dála (TD)

Brian Hillery wanted to be a Teachta Dála (TD). A TD is a member of Dáil Éireann, the main house of the Irish parliament. He ran in the 1981 election but did not win. However, he was elected as a TD for the Dún Laoghaire area in 1987. He served as a TD from 1989 to 1992. After losing his seat in 1992, he was nominated to the Seanad again. The Taoiseach, who is the head of the Irish government, chose him.

Working in Finance and Public Service

European Bank and Finance

In 1994, Brian Hillery took on a new role. He became an executive director at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). This bank helps countries in Europe rebuild their economies. He worked there in London until 1997. He represented Ireland and Denmark at the bank.

After that, he became a director for UniCredit's operations in Ireland. UniCredit is a large banking group. He later became the chairman of their Irish business in 1999. This showed his strong background in finance.

Advising the Government

Brian Hillery also served on many important public groups. These groups advised the Irish government.

• He was part of a group that reviewed pay in the public sector. This was from 1999 to 2007.
• He served on the National Pensions Reserve Fund Commission. This group managed Ireland's pension money. He was on it from 2004 to 2014.
• He was also on the Irish commission for the Fulbright Program. This program helps people study and teach abroad.

Central Bank and Other Roles

From 2008 to 2010, he was a director of the Central Bank of Ireland. This bank is very important for Ireland's money system. He also served as chairman of Providence Resources. This was a company that looked for oil and gas. He was the founding chairman from 1997 to 2015.

In 2003, he joined the board of Independent News & Media. This is a big media company. He became its chairman in 2009. He resigned from this role in 2011.

Brian Hillery passed away in January 2021.