Royston Brady

Royston Mathew Brady (born 24 August 1972) is an Irish businessman and former politician who served as Lord Mayor of Dublin between 2003–2004.

Background and early life

Brady was born in Holles Street hospital on Dublin's southside and brought up in Artane, he was one of nine children of Richard Brady from Dublin inner city and Doreen Lynch from Clanbrassil Street. Richard Brady was a taxi-driver, showband singer and furniture dealer.^[1]

He attended the Billie Barry stage school^[2] and appeared as an extra in the film Excalibur in 1981, he was also an under age footballer with St. Vincents GAA Club.

He was educated by the Christian Brothers in St. Josephs in Fairview and later studied in Athlone RTC, Louvain in Belgium and Boston College USA.^[3]

Family and personal life

Brady married Michelle McConalogue from Carndonagh, County Donegal in December 2003 ^[4] they currently live in the United States with their children.^[5]

His father won an All Ireland minor medal with Dublin in 1954.^[6]

Business life

Having trained as a hotelier in the US and Ireland Brady became general manager of the Royal Marine Hotel in Dún Laoghaire in June 1997. He has served on a number of boards including Dublin Port, Dublin Tourism and Dublin Enterprise Board.^[7] From 2000 to 2003 he worked as a consultant for training agency CERT. In 2005 he set up Alpha Recruitment, a recruitment and Consultancy Company specialising in the hotel and tourism sectors. Having built up the business it was sold for an undisclosed sum to Stepone Recruitment in 2008.^[8] Brady left his job as General Manager at Roganstown Hotel Country Club in Swords, Co Dublin after highlighting “illegal” bar licensing practices. Mr.Brady subsequently projected managed the opening of Parnell's GAA Club, in Coolock, north Dublin a multimillion-pound development including state of the art playing facilities, clubhouse and gym.

Political career

Brady was elected to Dublin City Council in June 1999 as a Fianna Fáil candidate.^[9] Aged 26, he was the youngest member of the council at the time.^[10] In 2000 he served as deputy Lord Mayor of Dublin and in 2003 was elected Lord Mayor of Dublin.

At his inauguration, he declared that he would be a people's mayor, insisting that Dubliners deserved better than a token figurehead.^[7] He said he was making the issue of street crime in Dublin one of his top priorities and while in office he was publicly critical of then minister Michael McDowell's efforts against crime and at one point referred to him as a bully giving the two fingers to Dublin.^[11][12]

Brady worked to tackle homelessness in Dublin receiving a papal knighthood for his efforts.^[13] He also hosted a homeless couple's wedding in the Mansion House to raise awareness of the plight of Dublin's homeless.^[14]

A Dublin football supporter, during his time Brady conferred the freedom of the city on Dubs legend Kevin Heffernan.^[15]

Brady was a candidate at the 2004 European Parliament election when he was falsely accused of lying about an incident involving his father's taxi being involved in the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings. Brady was accused by the media of using the incident to obtain the sympathy of the voters.^[16] He was later vindicated when the truth of the matter was revealed on 5 - 7 live, the RTÉ Radio programme, on Friday 18 Jun 2004. Dave Mc Hugh, an RTÉ Researcher who had made a Radio Documentary on the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, discovered that Royston Brady's father had been kidnapped on the evening of 16 May 1974.

Possible return to politics

Having left Fianna Fáil Brady was publicly courted by Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny who is quoted as saying “ He's going to join up, He's a man of energy, drive and commitment.” Brady: "I wouldn't rule anything out," he said, later adding: "I have to say, he's (Kenny) a gentleman. I think I'm probably too much a maverick for Fine Gael."^[17]

On the Late Late Show he said politicians “need to get real about the issues” and they are out of touch with what is going on with the normal person but “that you can never say never” about returning to politics.^[18]

References