The Galway-born visionary who established Europe’s first ever enterprise centre to help others get a foothold on the business ladder – leaving it 35 years later with assets of over €20 million – has been honoured for his lifetime’s dedication to others.

Séamus McDermott was born in Skehana but he is synonymous with the Liffey Trust, the not-for-profit innovation hub he set up at the height of the recession in the 1980’s – established with his own money, no state help and entirely for the benefit of others.

His extraordinary commitment to others was acknowledged recently when he returned to his alma mater, University College Dublin, becoming an Honorary Doctor of Engineering, to go along with the degree in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering he received from UCD in 1958.

His career could in many ways be described as one of two halves, because after graduating Séamus went on to hold senior management positions in semi-state and private industry prior to setting up his own management consultancy business.

He also lectured on management and engineering in Ireland and overseas and has developed his own property business.

But he – and life – had other plans, and he decided at 49 years of age to give back to society by establishing this charity to promote job creation and enterprise development; assisting new businesses not supported by state agencies.

As the founder and Director General of the Liffey Trust, Séamus helped hundreds of small businesses to establish themselves.

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