Paddy "the Cope" Gallagher

This article is about the founder of the Cope co-operative. For the politician, see Pat "the Cope" Gallagher.

Paddy Gallagher
Pádraig Ó Gallchóir
Born	Patrick Gallagher (1871-12-25)25 December 1871 Cleendra, County Donegal, Ireland
Died	24 June 1966(1966-06-24) (aged 94) Dungloe, County Donegal, Ireland
Organization	Templecrone Agricultural Co-operative Society
Movement	Co-operative
Spouse	Sally Gallagher ​ ​ (m. 1898; died 1948)​
Relatives	Pat "the Cope" Gallagher (grandson)

Paddy "The Cope" Gallagher (Irish: Pádraig Ó Gallchóir; 25 December 1871 – 24 June 1966[1]) was the founder of The Cope (officially called the Templecrone Agricultural Co-operative Society). A businessman and campaigner for West Donegal, he was born in Cleendra, Templecrone, part of The Rosses in the west of County Donegal, Ireland.[2]

At an early age, he began work as a hired boy working as a farm labourer, first in County Donegal and then as a potato picker (or potato gatherer) in Scotland. It was this hard work, with its long hours and poor pay, he was later to say, that inspired him to found a cooperative movement back home in County Donegal. His co-op was opposed by local vested interests and he had to buy his own boats to do his importing. He also helped to coordinate the local fishing and textile co-operatives, allowing such workers to swap their produce for goods in his local co-operative shops. He wrote an autobiography, published in 1939, called Patrick Gallagher: My Story.[3]

Gallagher was the grandfather of the politician Pat "the Cope" Gallagher. An image of Gallagher was featured on an Irish postage stamp issued in 2006.[4]

Bibliography

*Patrick Gallagher. My story with foreword by E.P. McDermott Dungloe; Templecrone Co-operative Society, [1944?]. 328 p. : ill. ; 21 cm.

References

1. Joyce Bellamy, "Gallagher, Patrick (Paddy the Cope)", Dictionary of Labour Biography, vol.I, p.128
2. "Gallagher, Patrick [known as Paddy the Cope]". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/65846. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
3. "©Donegal County.com & Dún-na-nGall.com - Patrick Gallagher". Archived from the original on 6 January 2010. Retrieved 8 June 2010. Donegal on the Net
4. "Paddy The Cope gets a stamp of approval". Irish Independent. 17 January 2006. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2011.