Sean Mulryan facts for kids

Sean Mulryan, born in September 1954, is an Irish businessman. He is famous for starting and leading the Ballymore Group. This company builds many homes and buildings, especially in London and other parts of Europe.

In 2017, Sean Mulryan was named one of the 50 most powerful people in the building industry in Britain. He was the only Irish person on this important list. In 2018, he was also listed among the 1,000 most influential people in London. Later that year, he was honored for his great help to Ireland and the Irish community in Great Britain.

Early Life and First Steps

Sean Mulryan was born in September 1954. He grew up in a small village called Oran in the west of Ireland. His family lived on a farm and had seven children.

He left school when he was 17 years old and learned how to be a bricklayer. When he was 19, he bought his first piece of land. At 26, he started his own company. Soon after, he founded Ballymore. Today, Ballymore is one of the biggest building companies in Europe.

Building a Career

Ballymore Group's Growth

Sean Mulryan started the Ballymore Group in 1982 when he was 28. He is still the chairman of the company.

Ballymore has become a very important builder of homes in London. The company has worked on many big projects in cities like London and Dublin. They often focus on making old city areas new again. For example, in Dublin, they launched a huge project called 'Dublin Landings' near the water. This project includes offices, homes, shops, and places for fun. They also got approval to build a large new area near Connolly Station in Dublin.

Many members of Sean Mulryan's family have worked at Ballymore. His son, John Mulryan, is a managing director there. His brother, Donal Mulryan, also worked for Ballymore before starting his own building company.

Sean Mulryan is known as one of the richest people in Ireland. Some say he owns more land in London than even the Duke of Westminster, who is a very wealthy landowner.

Big Projects in London

In 2012, Ballymore Group got approval for a large building project in an area of London called Nine Elms. This project, called Embassy Gardens, was planned to include almost 2,000 new homes. It also has shops, cafes, restaurants, business spaces, a hotel, and places for sports.

The former Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said that Embassy Gardens was a very important project for London's future. In 2018, the Embassy of the United States, London moved to Embassy Gardens. Ballymore Group had sold the land for the new embassy to the US government in 2008.

Some people who live in Ballymore buildings have had concerns about their service charges. These are fees for maintaining the buildings. Residents reported that these costs increased, and they also mentioned issues with repairs. Ballymore stated that the increases were due to rising costs for services like insurance.

Other Business Ventures

Besides his work with Ballymore, Sean Mulryan has also been involved in other businesses. In 2017, he joined the board of the Ireland West Airport Knock. This airport is important for the area and helps many people travel. In 2022, he invested money in an Irish company that makes electric bikes called Modmo.

Personal Life and Hobbies

Sean Mulryan and his wife, Bernadine, live in County Kildare, Ireland. They have five children. They love horse racing and own many racehorses, which are trained in Ireland and France. One of his famous horses was Forget the Past, which won many races. He also owned flat horses, like Thewayyouare. Ballymore Properties has even sponsored a big horse race at the Punchestown Festival.

Sean Mulryan has some famous friends, including the athlete and politician Seb Coe and Bono, the singer from the band U2. The singer Debbie Harry from the band Blondie even sang at his 50th birthday party.