Harry Gallagher facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Harry Gallagher
|
|
|---|---|
Gallagher, photographed c. 1910
|
|
| Born |
Henry Thomas Gallagher
13 April 1880 Strabane, County Tyrone, Ireland
|
| Died | 15 March 1975 (aged 94) Tallaght, Dublin, Ireland
|
| Nationality | Irish |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 3, including Redmond |
| Parent(s) | Edward Gallagher Harriet Thomas |
Henry Thomas Gallagher (born April 13, 1880 – died March 15, 1975), known as Harry Gallagher, was an important Irish businessman. He was a lawyer and also started Urney Chocolates. This company became a very famous sweet maker in Ireland during the 1900s. He was also a supporter of Irish independence.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Henry Thomas Gallagher was born in Strabane, County Tyrone, Ireland, on April 13, 1880. His father, Edward Gallagher, was a farmer from County Donegal. Edward had lived in America before coming back to Ireland. He then started a factory in Strabane. Harry's mother, Harriet Thomas, was a hat maker from County Tipperary.
Harry went to Castleknock College in Dublin for his education. After school, he worked in his family's factory for a year. Later, he went to Dublin to study law. In 1902, he became a lawyer with the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland. He then returned to Strabane to work as a lawyer.
His Family Life
In 1906, Harry Gallagher married Eileen Cullen. Eileen was born in Rosbercon, County Wexford, and grew up in Dublin. Her mother was a cousin of a famous Irish politician, John Redmond.
Harry and Eileen lived in Dunwiley House, Stranorlar, County Donegal. They had three children. Their daughter, Helen, later became a children's author. Their son, Redmond, loved motor racing. He later took over as the head of the Urney chocolate company in 1958.
Starting a Business in Ireland
Harry Gallagher was a strong supporter of Irish independence. He was very involved in the local nationalist party. He worked as the secretary of the North Tyrone Nationalist Association in 1909. As a lawyer, he helped people register to vote. He worked to make sure nationalist voters were on the list.
During World War I, he was a crown solicitor for County Donegal. This meant he worked for the government as a lawyer. After the Easter Rising in 1916, Harry and his father kept a lower profile.
Creating Urney Chocolates
In 1918, the Gallaghers bought a large house with five acres of land in Urney. Eileen, Harry's wife, started a market garden there. She wanted to create jobs because many people were leaving the area. She first gathered snowdrops and ivy leaves to sell in London. This grew into a fruit farm. They sold fresh fruit and bottled produce.
Eileen wanted to make jam, but she couldn't get enough sugar. Instead, she was offered sugar to make chocolate. The Gallaghers decided to try this new idea. In 1920, they went to a chocolate exhibition in Glasgow. They learned about making chocolate and bought machines for a small factory. They decided to make assorted chocolates using a special Dutch method. They even hired a Dutch expert to teach their employees.
The company was officially named Urney Chocolates Ltd. By 1924, they had 40 employees. Eileen was the company's first salesperson. She traveled around to find customers for their new chocolates.
Harry stopped working as a crown solicitor in 1923. He then focused more on the chocolate business. Eventually, he left his law practice completely to work full-time at the factory.
Moving the Factory to Tallaght
Urney Chocolates faced some challenges. The new Irish border, created when Ireland was divided, was right at the end of their garden. This made it hard to transport goods and deal with new customs rules. The Urney factory also burned down twice, once in 1921 and again in 1924.
After the second fire, the Gallaghers wanted to move their company further south into the Irish Free State. Irish banks were not willing to lend them money at first. Harry met with W. T. Cosgrave, who was the head of the Irish government. Cosgrave wanted to help Irish businesses grow. He arranged a loan for the Gallaghers. He also helped them lease an old British air base in Tallaght, County Dublin. The Gallaghers later bought this land.
In the summer of 1924, the factory and 20 employees moved from Urney to Tallaght. The new factory opened in November. Harry managed the production of the chocolates. Eileen managed the office work and the packaging. The couple lived next to the factory in Urney House.
Harry was a good employer. He paid his workers well and provided places for them to relax. He believed in a clean and caring work environment. He turned the old army barracks into a beautiful garden. This garden became a popular place for visitors from Dublin. Harry believed in treating workers fairly. He was inspired by successful businesses like Cadbury, who also treated their employees well.
Urney Chocolates did very well in Ireland. The Irish government put taxes on imported chocolates. This helped Irish companies like Urney Chocolates. Harry became friends with Éamon de Valera, who later became a very important leader in Ireland. De Valera believed in protecting Irish businesses. Because of this friendship, Harry was made a director of The Irish Press newspaper in 1927.
When Fianna Fáil came into power in 1932, they stopped chocolate imports. This helped Urney Chocolates even more. However, big companies like Cadbury and Rowntree started their own factories in Ireland. Harry worked closely with Seán Lemass, another important Irish politician. He used Urney Chocolates as an example of how Irish businesses could succeed with government support.
During World War II (1940-1945), Urney Chocolates continued to do well. They were given extra sugar. This allowed Harry to sell sugar to Britain at a high profit. When it was hard to get cocoa beans, Harry, as the head of the Chocolate Manufacturers Association, found new suppliers in Canada and Brazil. During the war, there were not many other chocolate companies. This meant that demand for Urney Chocolates grew a lot. Even though it was hard to get new machines, they kept making and expanding their production. After the war, when imported chocolates came back, Urney Chocolates still sold well in Britain.
Later Life and Legacy
Harry Gallagher stopped being the managing director of Urney Chocolates in 1950. However, he remained the chairman until 1958. He had a staff of seven people working on his farm and seven in the gardens of Urney House. He often visited the factory workers. On his farm, he raised cattle and ponies for his grandchildren. In the 1960s, he started breeding racehorses.
In 1963, Harry and Eileen were sad when their son Redmond sold the family's share in Urney Chocolates. The company was then taken over by foreign owners. The Gallaghers continued to live in Urney House, next to the factory. Harry Gallagher died at Urney House on March 15, 1975. He was buried in St Maelruan's churchyard in Tallaght.
