Paddy "the Cope" Gallagher

Who was Paddy "the Cope" Gallagher?

Paddy The Cope Gallagher was the founder of The Cope. A businessman and campaigner for West Donegal, he was born in Cleendra, Templecrone, part of The Rosses in the west of County Donegal, Ireland.

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 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 co-operative 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 co-ordinate 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.

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.