Seán O'Connor (businessman)

Seán O'Connor (born 29 April 1960) is an Irish motorsport promoter who was briefly a member of Seanad Éireann.

Early and personal life

O'Connor was educated at Terenure College, Dublin, where he was a member of the Senior Cup rugby team. He has a degree in marketing from Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), an MA in political communications from Dublin City University, and a doctorate from the University of Ulster. A grandson of former Taoiseach Seán Lemass,[1][2][3] he lives in Enniskerry, County Wicklow, with his wife and five children.

Seanad

On 13 December 1982, after the November 1982 general election saw three members of the 16th Seanad elected to the 22nd Dáil, O'Connor was one of those nominated to fill the vacancies by Taoiseach Charles Haughey,[4][5][3][1] his uncle by marriage. He did not attend the Seanad on 21 December, its only subsequent sitting before its dissolution.[5][4][6]

O'Connor was an unsuccessful candidate in the University of Dublin constituency at the 2007 Seanad election,[7] under the slogan "Graduate Equality", for opening the Seanad university constituency to graduates of all third-level institutions in the state.[3][2] Had had successfully petitioned the High Court to give candidates the same access to the NUI electoral register which incumbent senators have.[2]

Career

O'Connor was based in Dubai working for Marlboro sponsorship of motorsports, including promotion of the UAE Desert Challenge.[1] Together with Ronan Morgan, he co-founded Rally Ireland in 2005, stepping down as promoter in 2008 after it had been confirmed as a round of the 2009 World Rally Championship.[1][8] In 2009, he joined the Automobile & Touring Club of the UAE as Director of Strategy to assist in the staging of the first Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix. In 2011 he was appointed Vice Chairman of the UAE's Institute of Sports Research.

O'Connor lectures in political marketing and public affairs ethics at DIT.

References
  1. "World Rally coup for Morgan and O'Connor". Sunday Independent. 9 July 2006. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  2. "Seanad hopeful allowed to see register". The Irish Times. 11 November 2006. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  3. Mullen, Rónán (11 March 2009). "Seanad Reform: Motion". Seanad Éireann (23rd Seanad). Houses of the Oireachtas. Retrieved 25 March 2019. I commend the work of Graduate Equality, which was founded by a former Member of this House, Mr. Seán O'Connor, who worked very hard on this issue.
  4. "Nomination of Members". Seanad Éireann (16th Seanad). Houses of the Oireachtas. 21 December 1982. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  5. "Seán O'Connor". Oireachtas Members Database. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  6. "16th Seanad — Seán O'Connor". Find a Debate. Houses of the Oireachtas. 14 March 2019. Retrieved 25 March 2019.; "Table of Contents". Seanad Éireann (16th Seanad). Houses of the Oireachtas. 21 December 1982. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  7. Oireachtas (23 July 2007). "Seanad Éireann General Election Results 2007" (PDF). Stationery Office. pp. 40–41. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  8. Hamill, Sammy (19 September 2008). "O'Connor and Morgan depart Rally Ireland". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
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