Peter Casey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Peter Casey
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| Born |
Peter Joseph Casey
9 October 1957 |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Education | St Columb's College |
| Alma mater | Aston University |
| Occupation |
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| Known for | Dragon on the Irish version of Dragons' Den, candidate in the 2018 Irish presidential election |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouse(s) |
Helen Casey
(m. 1990) |
| Children | 5 |
Peter Joseph Casey (born 9 October 1957) is an Irish businessman. He started a company called Claddagh Resources. This company helps find important jobs for people around the world. From 2012 to 2014, he was one of the 'Dragons' on the TV show Dragons' Den. On the show, he was an investor who listened to new business ideas.
He has also run for political jobs several times but has not won. For example, he was a candidate in the 2018 Irish presidential election, where he came in second place. He also ran in the 2019 European Parliament election for the Midlands-North-West area.
Early Life and Family
Growing Up in Derry
Peter Casey was born in Derry, Northern Ireland, on October 9, 1957. He was the third of nine children in his family. His mother, Patsy Casey, was a deputy headmistress at a primary school. His father, Leo, worked at St Columb's College.
Education and Moving Home
Peter went to both of these schools. Later, he studied business, politics, and economics at Aston University in Birmingham, England. He lived in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, with his wife Helen and their five children for many years. In 2016, they moved back to Greencastle, County Donegal, in Ireland.
Business Career
Starting in Sales
Peter Casey began his career in 1979 as a sales representative for Rank Xerox UK. He quickly became very good at sales. In his first year, he won a national award. In 1981, he moved to Sydney, Australia. There, he was among the top sales executives in the country. He became the youngest district manager at Rank Xerox. He also won an award for being the best Sales Manager in Asia.
Building His Own Companies
In 1983, Casey worked for Océ Reprographics. He then rejoined Rank Xerox in 1984. In 1985, he started his first company, The Trinity Group. This company helped provide temporary IT staff in Sydney. It won a large contract with the New South Wales government. Peter sold this business in 1992. After a short time back in Ireland, he moved to Atlanta, Georgia. There, he started Network Resources, which later became Claddagh Resources in 1996.
Claddagh Resources Today
Claddagh Resources helps place important executives in jobs all over the world. They work with big companies like Coca-Cola and IBM. In 2000, the company opened its European office in County Donegal. More recently, it has also opened an office in Dublin. Irish America Magazine recognized him as one of the top Irish American businessmen in 2007.
Television Appearances
Becoming a 'Dragon'
Peter Casey became well-known to many people through the TV show Dragons' Den. This show is about business and investing. He was chosen to be one of the investors, or 'Dragons', for the fifth and sixth seasons of the Irish version of the show. During his time on the program, he made several investments in new businesses.
Political Career
Running for Office
Peter Casey has tried to get elected to political roles several times. In 2015, he thought about running in the 2016 Irish general election. He considered running in Donegal or Dublin. He also shared his thoughts on the government at the time, saying they had done "fairly well."
2016 Seanad Election
In 2016, he tried to become a member of Seanad Éireann, which is part of the Irish parliament. He wanted to support new businesses and create jobs. However, he did not get enough votes to win a seat.
2018 Presidential Election
Seeking Nomination
On August 30, 2018, Peter Casey announced he wanted to run for President of Ireland. He was the third 'Dragon' from Dragons' Den to seek the nomination that year. He made a video called "Platform for President of Ireland" to share his ideas. He successfully got the support of four local councils, which he needed to become a candidate.
Controversial Comments
During his campaign, Peter Casey made some comments about Irish Travellers that caused a lot of discussion. He spoke about social housing that was offered to, and refused by, some Travellers. He described Travellers as "basically people camping in someone else's land" who "are not paying their fair share of taxes." These comments led to many people criticizing him. Some groups asked him to leave the election. Other candidates also disagreed with his statements.
The Tánaiste (Ireland's deputy prime minister) said Casey's comments were "lowest common denominator politics." He defended the government's decision to recognize Irish Travellers as an ethnic minority. Peter Casey visited the housing development himself and faced protests. He later said he was thinking about whether to continue his campaign. He stated, "there is not a racist bone in my body." He decided to stay in the election. Before these comments, he had low support, but his support increased afterward.
He also said that Ireland was too dependent on welfare. He believed this led to a "sense of entitlement."
Election Result
In the election, Peter Casey came in second place. The current President, Michael D. Higgins, won the election. Casey received 342,727 votes, which was 23.3% of all votes.
After the election, Casey said he planned to join the Fianna Fáil political party. He wanted to run for a seat in the Donegal area in the next general election. However, a Fianna Fáil politician said that the party already had enough candidates for that area. Casey then said he would form a new party if Fianna Fáil did not want him. In February 2019, he decided to run as an independent candidate instead.
2019 European Parliament Election
In April 2019, Peter Casey announced he would run in the European Parliament election. He ran in the Midlands-North-West area. During his campaign, he made another controversial statement. He was filmed saying, "The face of Ireland is changing. People say 'you’re racist'. Of course I'm racist, I'm a very proud Irish man." When asked about this, he said he made "no apologies" for calling himself racist. He also continued to criticize the European Union's policies on migration. He did not win a seat in this election, finishing fifth.
Later Elections
2020 General Election
Peter Casey ran in the 2020 Irish general election as an independent candidate. He ran in two areas: Donegal and Dublin West. He did not win a seat in either area.
2024 European Parliament Election
He was also a candidate in the 2024 European Parliament election for the Midlands-North-West area. He received 21,102 votes but was not elected.
2025 Presidential Election
On March 2, 2025, Peter Casey announced that he plans to seek nominations from local councils to run in the 2025 Irish presidential election.
