Seán Anthony O'Leary (7 June 1941 – 22 December 2006) was an Irish judge, politician and barrister who served as a judge of the High Court from 2002 to 2006, a judge of the Circuit Court from 1995 to 2002, a

senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

from 1981 to 1982 and 1983 to 1987, and Lord Mayor of Cork from 1972 to 1973. O'Leary was Lord Mayor of Cork from 1972 to 1973, having been a Fine Gael member of Cork City Council. He was an unsuccessful Fine Gael candidate for Dáil Éireann at the 1965, 1969, 1973 and 1977 general elections for various Cork constituencies. In 1981, he was nominated by the

Taoiseach The Taoiseach (, ) is the head of government or prime minister of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the President of Ireland upon nomination by Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...

, Garret FitzGerald as a member of the 15th Seanad. He was a political activist one of the group known as the 'National Handlers'. Prior to qualifying as a barrister, he was an accountant. He was nominated again as a senator in 1983, and served in the 17th Seanad from 1983 to 1987. He did not seek re-election in 1987. He was later appointed a Circuit Court judge and later again elevated to the High Court. He chaired enquiries into the proposed Luas light rail system for

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

in 1997 and 1999, which were praised for their promptness. While a High Court judge, he served as Chairman of the Residential Institutions Redress Board. He died at Cork University Hospital on 22 December 2006. His grandfather John Horgan was a

Teachta Dála A Teachta Dála ( ; ; plural ), abbreviated as TD (plural ''TDanna'' in Irish language, Irish, TDs in English), is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas, the parliament of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The official Engli ...

(TD), as well as a Lord Mayor of Cork from 1941 to 1942.Cadogan, Tim & Falvey, Jeremiah: ''A Biographical Dictionary of Cork'' p.138, Four Courts Press (2006),

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oleary, Sean 1941 births 2006 deaths Fine Gael senators Members of the 15th Seanad Members of the 17th Seanad Members of Cork City Council Lord mayors of Cork Irish barristers High Court judges (Ireland) Nominated members of Seanad Éireann 20th-century Irish judges 21st-century Irish journalists Fine Gael candidates in Dáil elections People educated at St Finbarr's College, Farranferris