Hotels lobbying chief Paul Gallagher: ‘Our lobbying was behind doors, not on radio’

The Irish Times · Stephen Conneely · 2026-11-06 05:00 UTC

Having secured a lower Vat rate on food service, IHF CEO Paul Gallagher is now focusing on other supports for the hospitality sector

“You could be the lounge boy today and be the general manager in 20 years time on a quarter of a million euros,” says Paul Gallagher, chief executive of the Irish Hotels Federation, of a career in hospitality.

Young people with aspirations of networking prominent politicians may be drawn to pursue a career in law, finance or property development. For nearly 50 years, Gallagher has been doing so in hospitality.

From humble beginnings working as a lounge boy in Madigan’s Pub in Donnybrook, Dublin 4 during the late 1970s to now serving as chief executive of the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF), Gallagher has experienced the length and breadth of the industry.

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