Brian Hillery

{{Infobox officeholder

| image =

| office = Senator

| term_start = 17 February 1993

| term_end = 4 May 1994

| constituency = Nominated by the Taoiseach

| term_start1 = 23 February 1983

| term_end1 = 11 June 1989

| term_start2 = 27 October 1977

| term_end2 = 13 May 1982

| constituency2 = Labour Panel

| office3 = Teachta Dála

| term_start3 = June 1989

| term_end3 = November 1992

| constituency3 = Dún Laoghaire

| birth_date = {{birth date|1937|11|22|df=y}}

| birth_place = Spanish Point, County Clare, Ireland

| death_date = {{death date and age|2021|1|19|1937|11|22|df=y}}

| death_place = Dublin, Ireland

| nationality = Irish

| party = Fianna Fáil

| spouse = {{marriage|Miriam Hillery|1973}}

| children = 5

| relations = Patrick Hillery (uncle)

| alma_mater = {{Ubl|University College Dublin|University of Georgia}}

|}}

Brian James Hillery (22 November 1937 – 19 January 2021) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and finance executive who served as a Senator from 1977 to 1982, 1983 to 1989 and 1992 to 1997 and a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dún Laoghaire constituency from 1989 to 1992.{{cite web|url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/member/Brian-J-Hillery.S.1977-10-27/|title=Brian Hillery|work=Oireachtas Members Database|access-date=16 May 2013}}

Academic and political career

Hillery studied at University College Dublin (UCD) and the University of Georgia and worked in banking before joining the UCD faculty in 1967.{{cite web |title=Hillery, Brian J. |url=http://aei.pitt.edu/id/eprint/74618 |website=Archive of European Integration |year=1111 |publisher=University of Pittsburgh }} He became the inaugural ESSO Professor of Industrial Relations in 1974.{{cite journal |last1=Carbery |first1=Ronan |last2=Gunnigle |first2=Patrick |last3=Morley |first3=Michael |title=Human resource management research output in Ireland between 1950 and 2010: a retrospective |journal=Irish Journal of Management |date=December 2015 |volume=34 |issue=1 |page=43 |doi=10.1515/ijm-2015-0005 |url=https://cora.ucc.ie/handle/10468/7758 |language=en |issn=1649-248X|doi-access=free |hdl=10468/7758 |hdl-access=free }}

Hillery's uncle, Patrick Hillery, was a Fianna Fáil TD and minister until 1973, and President of Ireland from 1976 to 1990.{{cite news |last1=Kennedy |first1=Geraldine |title=A commission is no good in a strikes crisis |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1979/0215/Pg010.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=2 April 2020 |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=15 February 1979 |page=10}}{{cite news |last1=O'Regan |first1=Michael |title=Bishop's address 'Simple tribute' by fellow Clareman who remembers friend of 57 years |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/bishop-s-address-simple-tribute-by-fellow-clareman-who-remembers-friend-of-57-years-1.913615 |access-date=2 April 2020 |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=16 April 2008 |language=en}} In 1977, Brian Hillery was elected to the 14th Seanad as a Fianna Fáil Senator for the Administrative Panel. In 1978, minister Gene Fitzgerald's suggestion that he chair the Commission on Industrial Relations was rejected by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions as party-political.{{cite news |last1=McEldowney |first1=Eugene |title=What's a Labour Minister meant to do anyway? |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1979/1203/Pg010.html#Ar01000 |access-date=2 April 2020 |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=3 December 1979 |page=10 |url-access=subscription}} After unsuccessfully contesting the 1981 general election in Dún Laoghaire, he was returned to the 15th Seanad, serving from 1981 to 1982. He did not sit in the brief 16th Seanad, but was re-elected to the 17th Seanad in 1983, where he served until he was elected a TD for Dún Laoghaire at the 1989 general election.{{cite web|url=http://electionsireland.org/candidate.cfm?ID=3331|title=Brian Hillery|work=ElectionsIreland.org|access-date=16 May 2013}} At the 1992 general election, he lost his Dáil seat, which Barry Desmond attributed to a lack of constituency work.{{cite journal |last1=Desmond |first1=Barry |title=Swimming against the tide: A memoir by David Andrews gives a unique insight into Fianna Fáil in government |journal=Magill |date=29 November 2007 |url=https://magill.ie/archive/swimming-against-tide-0}} He was then nominated to the 20th Seanad by Taoiseach Albert Reynolds. He resigned as Senator in May 1994 when he was appointed to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).{{cite web |title=EBRD Appointment |url=https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/seanad/1994-04-29/3/ |website=Seanad Éireann (20th Seanad) debates |publisher=Houses of the Oireachtas |access-date=2 April 2020 |language=en-ie |date=29 April 1994}}{{cite web |title=Appointments to European Boards |url=https://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-05-21a.492 |website=Written answers |publisher=KildareStreet.com |access-date=2 April 2020 |date=21 May 2013}}

Public and private sector board member

From 1994 to 1997, Hillery was an executive director at the EBRD in London representing Ireland and Denmark.{{cite news |title=Quinn names adviser to EBRD |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/quinn-names-adviser-to-ebrd-1.83814 |access-date=2 April 2020 |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=20 June 1997 |language=en}} He then became a director and, from 1999, chairman, of UniCredit's Irish operations at the Dublin International Financial Services Centre.{{cite news |title=Academic to be bank chairman |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/academic-to-be-bank-chairman-1.220229 |access-date=2 April 2020 |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=25 August 1999 |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Beesley |first1=Arthur |title=Italian bank nets €57m IFSC dividend |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/italian-bank-nets-57m-ifsc-dividend-1.449311 |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=31 May 2005 |language=en}} Public sector advisory bodies on which Hillery served include the Government Review Body on Higher Remuneration in the Public Sector (1999–2007),{{cite web |title=Department of Finance: Review Body on Higher Remuneration |url=https://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2007-11-06.556.0 |website=Written answers |publisher=KildareStreet.com |access-date=2 April 2020 |date=6 November 2007}} the National Pensions Reserve Fund Commission (2004–2014),{{cite news |title=Hillery for Pensions Reserve Fund body |url=https://www.independent.ie/business/irish/hillery-for-pensions-reserve-fund-body-25906168.html |access-date=2 April 2020 |work=Irish Independent |date=13 July 2004 |language=en}}; {{cite web |author1=National Pensions Reserve Fund Commission |title=Annual report and financial statements 2014 |url=http://opac.oireachtas.ie/AWData/Library3/FINdoclaid270715_111901.pdf#page=25 |access-date=2 April 2020 |page=23 |date=2015}}{{cite web |last1=Lenihan |first1=Brian |title=Minister for Finance: Appointments to State Boards |url=https://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2010-02-03.1258.0 |website=Written answers |publisher=KildareStreet.com |access-date=2 April 2020 |date=3 February 2010}} and the Irish commission of the Fulbright Program (2002–2004).{{cite web |last1=Martin |first1=Mícheál |title=Department of Foreign Affairs Appointments to State Boards |url=https://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2010-02-03.1563.0 |website=Written answers |publisher=KildareStreet.com |access-date=2 April 2020 |date=3 February 2010}} He was a director of the Central Bank of Ireland and Financial Regulator from April 2008 until the bodies were reformed in October 2010.{{cite news |title=New appointments at Central Bank |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2008/0429/102676-centralbank/ |access-date=2 April 2020 |date=29 April 2008 |language=en}}; {{cite web |title=Annual Report 2010 |url=https://centralbank.ie/docs/default-source/publications/corporate-reports/annual-reports/2010-central-bank-annual-report.pdf?sfvrsn=14#page=71 |publisher=Central Bank of Ireland |access-date=2 April 2020 |pages=69–70 |date=2011}} The Oireachtas joint committee of inquiry into the post-2008 banking crisis initially intended to ask him to make a statement but did not proceed with this.{{cite book |author=Joint Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis |title=Report |date=January 2016 |publisher=Oireachtas |volume=2: Inquiry Framework |chapter=7.19 Notices or directions withdrawn or amended by the Joint Committee |page=38 |url=http://opac.oireachtas.ie/AWData/Library3/Final_Report_of_the_Joint_Committee_of_Inquiry_into_the_Banking_Crisis_Volume_2_135703.pdf#page=40 |access-date=2 April 2020}}

Hillery was founding chairman from 1997 to 2015 of Providence Resources, a hydrocarbon company established by Tony O'Reilly.{{cite book |publisher=Providence Resources |title=Annual Report 2015 }} In 2003, he was appointed to the board of Independent News & Media,{{cite news |title=Brian Hillery appointed to INM board |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2003/1219/47547-inm/ |access-date=2 April 2020 |work=RTÉ |date=19 December 2003 |language=en}} succeeding Tony O'Reilly as chairman in 2009 while O'Reilly remained chief executive.{{cite news |title=O'Reilly to quit chair at IN&M but retains top post |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/o-reilly-to-quit-chair-at-in-m-but-retains-top-post-1.1146876 |access-date=2 April 2020 |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=29 June 2004 |language=en}}; {{cite web |title=O'Reilly steps down as INM Chairman |url=https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2004/0628/51687-indo/ |publisher=RTÉ |access-date=2 April 2020 |language=en |date=30 Jan 2009}} Hillery resigned in 2011 in the face of pressure from Denis O'Brien.{{cite news |last1=Hancock |first1=Ciaran |title=How the O'Reillys lost battle for INM |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=8 June 2012 |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/how-the-o-reillys-lost-battle-for-inm-1.1064732 |access-date=2 April 2020 |language=en}}

He died in January 2021.{{cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/munster/2021/0121/1191197-brian-hillary/|work=RTÉ News|title=President leads tributes to Professor Brian Hillery|date=21 January 2021}}