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Lawless had close ties to the [[Presidency of Barack Obama|Obama administration]] and was chosen to introduce the [[President of the United States|President]] when he announced his plans for immigration reform.<ref>{{cite news |first=James |last=O'Shea |url=https://www.irishcentral.com/news/New-Irish-emigrant-senator-under-fire-for-Fine-Gael-Kenny-links.html|title=New Irish emigrant senator under fire for Fine Gael, Kenny links |work=Irish Central |date=29 May 2016 |access-date=22 June 2020 |archive-date=4 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160704111948/http://www.irishcentral.com/news/New-Irish-emigrant-senator-under-fire-for-Fine-Gael-Kenny-links.html |url-status=live}}</ref> He was an unsuccessful candidate at the [[2021 Seanad by-elections]]. In 2021, Lawless was awarded the Irish Presidential Distinguished Service Award for Irish Community Support.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.dfa.ie/news-and-media/press-release/press-release-archive/2021/october |title=Press Release |access-date=12 December 2021 |archive-date=12 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211212115906/https://www.dfa.ie/news-and-media/press-release/press-release-archive/2021/october |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Lawless had close ties to the [[Presidency of Barack Obama|Obama administration]] and was chosen to introduce the [[President of the United States|President]] when he announced his plans for immigration reform.<ref>{{cite news |first=James |last=O'Shea |url=https://www.irishcentral.com/news/New-Irish-emigrant-senator-under-fire-for-Fine-Gael-Kenny-links.html|title=New Irish emigrant senator under fire for Fine Gael, Kenny links |work=Irish Central |date=29 May 2016 |access-date=22 June 2020 |archive-date=4 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160704111948/http://www.irishcentral.com/news/New-Irish-emigrant-senator-under-fire-for-Fine-Gael-Kenny-links.html |url-status=live}}</ref> He was an unsuccessful candidate at the [[2021 Seanad by-elections]]. In 2021, Lawless was awarded the Irish Presidential Distinguished Service Award for Irish Community Support.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.dfa.ie/news-and-media/press-release/press-release-archive/2021/october |title=Press Release |access-date=12 December 2021 |archive-date=12 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211212115906/https://www.dfa.ie/news-and-media/press-release/press-release-archive/2021/october |url-status=dead }}</ref>


Lawless died in Chicago on 8 November 2024, at the age of 73 <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2024/11/08/death-announced-of-former-senator-billy-lawless-who-built-successful-pub-business-in-chicago/|title=Death announced of former senator Billy Lawless who built successful pub business in Chicago|work=[[The Irish Times]]|date=8 November 2024|access-date=8 November 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/former-senator-billy-lawless-has-died-aged-73-1693264.html|title=Former senator Billy Lawless has died aged 73|work=BreakingNews.ie|date=8 November 2024|access-date=8 November 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2024/11/14/billy-lawless-funeral-hears-about-great-champion-of-undocumented-irish/|title=Billy Lawless funeral hears about great champion of undocumented Irish|work=[[The Irish Times]]|date=14 November 2024|access-date=14 November 2024}}</ref> after suffering [[kidney failure]] <ref>https://abc7chicago.com/post/billy-lawless-chicago-restauranteur-gage-hospitality-group-founder-former-irish-senator-dies-73-after-kidney-failure/15539271/</ref>
Lawless died in Chicago on 8 November 2024, at the age of 73 <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2024/11/08/death-announced-of-former-senator-billy-lawless-who-built-successful-pub-business-in-chicago/|title=Death announced of former senator Billy Lawless who built successful pub business in Chicago|work=[[The Irish Times]]|date=8 November 2024|access-date=8 November 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/former-senator-billy-lawless-has-died-aged-73-1693264.html|title=Former senator Billy Lawless has died aged 73|work=BreakingNews.ie|date=8 November 2024|access-date=8 November 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2024/11/14/billy-lawless-funeral-hears-about-great-champion-of-undocumented-irish/|title=Billy Lawless funeral hears about great champion of undocumented Irish|work=[[The Irish Times]]|date=14 November 2024|access-date=14 November 2024}}</ref> after suffering from [[kidney failure]] <ref>https://abc7chicago.com/post/billy-lawless-chicago-restauranteur-gage-hospitality-group-founder-former-irish-senator-dies-73-after-kidney-failure/15539271/</ref>


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 09:55, 3 December 2024

Billy Lawless
Lawless in 2016
Senator
In office
8 June 2016 – 29 June 2020
ConstituencyNominated by the Taoiseach
Personal details
Born
William Lawless

(1950-12-24)24 December 1950
Galway, Ireland
Died8 November 2024(2024-11-08) (aged 73)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Political partyIndependent
Spouse
Anne Lawless
​
(m. 1980)​
Children4

Billy Lawless (24 December 1950 – 8 November 2024) was an Irish independent politician and businessman who served as a Senator from 2016 to 2020, after being nominated by the Taoiseach.[1][2] Lawless was from Rahoon, County Galway.

In the 1980s, he was chair of Fine Gael in the Galway West constituency and stood unsuccessfully for Galway City Council in 1991.[3][4] He emigrated to Chicago in 1998, having always had plans to open a business in the United States. He made the decision after his daughter received a rowing scholarship to Boston University.[5]

Lawless owned five restaurants in the Chicago area, employing 460 people,[6] and was a board member and co-founder of the Illinois Business Immigration Coalition (IBIC) and chair of Chicago Celts for Immigration Reform.[6]

Lawless was credited with helping the cause of Irish immigrants and undocumented Irish in America, and was made Freeman of Galway in 2015 for these efforts.[6] He was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate by NUI Galway in June 2015.[7] On 11 May 2016, Taoiseach Enda Kenny appointed Lawless to the 25th Seanad, making him the first overseas Irish senator.[8]

Lawless had close ties to the Obama administration and was chosen to introduce the President when he announced his plans for immigration reform.[9] He was an unsuccessful candidate at the 2021 Seanad by-elections. In 2021, Lawless was awarded the Irish Presidential Distinguished Service Award for Irish Community Support.[10]

Lawless died in Chicago on 8 November 2024, at the age of 73 [11][12][13] after suffering from kidney failure [14]

References

  1. ^ "Billy Lawless". Oireachtas Members Database. Archived from the original on 6 August 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  2. ^ "Pieta House founder among Kenny's Seanad nominees". RTÉ News. 27 May 2016. Archived from the original on 27 May 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  3. ^ "Billy Lawless". ElectionsIreland.org. Archived from the original on 22 February 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  4. ^ Devine, Catherine (30 May 2016). "New Senator: Giving Enda's daughter a J1 job in Chicago 'not cronyism'". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 30 May 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  5. ^ Clarke, Vivienne (30 May 2016). "Billy Lawless: Giving Kenny's daughter J1 job 'not cronyism'". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 30 May 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  6. ^ a b c O'Shea, Jamie (28 May 2016). "Billy Lawless named as first ever emigrant senator by Irish leader". Irish Central. Archived from the original on 29 May 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  7. ^ "Honorary Conferrings". Cois Coiribe. Winter 2015. p. 49.
  8. ^ "Chicagoan Billy Lawless Appointed to Irish Seanad by Taoiseach Enda Kenny". Irish American News. Archived from the original on 17 June 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
  9. ^ O'Shea, James (29 May 2016). "New Irish emigrant senator under fire for Fine Gael, Kenny links". Irish Central. Archived from the original on 4 July 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  10. ^ "Press Release". Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  11. ^ "Death announced of former senator Billy Lawless who built successful pub business in Chicago". The Irish Times. 8 November 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  12. ^ "Former senator Billy Lawless has died aged 73". BreakingNews.ie. 8 November 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  13. ^ "Billy Lawless funeral hears about great champion of undocumented Irish". The Irish Times. 14 November 2024. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  14. ^ https://abc7chicago.com/post/billy-lawless-chicago-restauranteur-gage-hospitality-group-founder-former-irish-senator-dies-73-after-kidney-failure/15539271/
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