John Byrne (businessman) facts for kids

John Byrne (1919 – October 2013) was an Irish businessman. He was well-known for building many large office buildings in central Dublin. His company, the Carlisle Trust, helped create these important city spaces.

Early Life and Business

John Byrne was born in 1919 on a small family farm. This farm was located near Lixnaw in County Kerry, Ireland. He was the oldest of 12 children.

During a time known as the Emergency (which was a period of war), John earned money. He cut turf (a type of fuel) and sold it to people door-to-door.

In 1941, he moved to Britain. There, he made money by building and running dance halls.

Building in Ireland

In the early 1960s, the Irish government needed more office space. The Taoiseach (Ireland's prime minister), Seán Lemass, asked John Byrne to return to Ireland. He wanted John to help build these new offices.

John started by building more dance halls across Ireland. Soon, he began building large office blocks in Dublin. Some of these new buildings replaced older, historic ones. Examples include O'Connell Bridge House and D'Olier House.

Even in the 2000s, John Byrne was still leasing offices to the Irish government. His company earned a lot of money from these leases.

Working with Others

John Byrne worked with other important property developers. These included P. V. Doyle and Matt Gallagher. He also had a team of trusted professionals. Desmond Fitzgerald was his architect, and Des Traynor was his accountant. Christopher Gore-Grimes was his solicitor.

John was a close friend of Matt Gallagher. When Matt sadly passed away in 1974, John helped Matt's son, Patrick. He guided Patrick as he took over his father's business.

Land Development

During the 1960s and 1970s, John Byrne bought a lot of land in Baldoyle. This included a large area that used to be the Baldoyle racecourse. He gathered over 500 acres of land.

In 1999, John sold the former racecourse to another developer, Sean Mulryan.

Later Life and Legacy

In 2002, John Byrne passed control of his business to his wife, Ciara. John Byrne passed away in October 2013 at the age of 94.

His son, John Jr., took over the family business, the Carlisle Trust. The Carlisle Trust still owns several Irish companies today. These include Smithfield Property Development Ltd, Alstead Securities, and Dublin City Estates Ltd.