Known as one of the ‘Three Amigos’ — along with Paddy McKillen Sr and Charlie O’Loughlin (of Euro Giant) — who came south looking for business opportunities and to escape the tight religious confines of their native Belfast, he was described as “a cross between The Great Gatsby and The Playboy of the Western World”.
He was attending an 80th birthday party in Marbella, Spain, when he suffered a blood clot, which was not regarded as life-threatening. However, he suffered complications, from which he later died.
His attitude to the ups and downs of life, including his own successes and failures, was encapsulated by a quote from his family in his death notice: “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but enjoy the gift of today.”
Although separated from his wife Rita, the mother of his four children, they remained steadfast friends.
Paul McGlade ran a wide range of businesses
Paul McGlade was born in east Belfast on June 12, 1955. He left school at 16 and worked in Woolworth’s, cutting his teeth in business selling cassette tapes at a market stall in Jonesboro, Co Armagh, before arriving in Dublin with his compatriots around 1972.
He opened the discount shop Apollo 1 in Moore Street and O’Connell Street. Like his sometimes-partner McKillen, he branched out into property and retailing.
He and Rita (Reddy) married in 1981 and the family then moved to London in 1986 for several years after he sold his interests.
Returning to Dublin, they bought a house in Blackrock and he got involved in a wide range of businesses, including restaurants and property on his own and with McKillen and his financial controller Liam Cunningham.
The main business was Champion Sports but they were also involved in burger restaurant Captain America’s, Asian food chain Wagamama, the Schuh shoe retail chain, and jewellery shops.
Most of his business interests targeted the same segment of the market, consumers in the 15- to 25-year-old age bracket, who he identified as big spenders with few financial commitments.
Ireland has a greater proportion of young people than anywhere else and the best attitude in Europe
“Young Irish people are big spenders. They don’t save and don’t have mortgages. They live at home and they are earning between £300 and £400 a week,” he told Charlie Weston in a rare interview for the Irish Independent in 1999, when he was part of a consortium with U2 manager Paul McGuinness, bidding for one of the new commercial radio licences.
“You won’t get that anywhere else,” he said. “This allows young Irish people to spend, spend, spend. And Ireland has a greater proportion of young people than anywhere else and the best attitude in Europe.”
In later years he was a director of an array of companies, one of which was called The Big Shindig, again illustrating his idea that business should be fun and interesting, rather than simply a money-making enterprise run by dry accountants.
He also relied heavily on family, particularly his children, and key staff to run his businesses while he moved on to find something new.
“If people are enjoying their work then that flows through. I am very much into training and keeping it simple — continuous simple improvement is the philosophy,” he told Weston.
Paul was never driven by money but was a man of incredible vision
Over the years his business model changed and he consolidated his operations into a holding company, Fellerim, the directors of which are his children Philip, Katie, Paul and William and which had a turnover of €110m in 2022.
He also founded the laser surgery clinic Optilase and the skin treatment specialist Thérapie, which opened 22 new clinics in 2022.
Following his sudden death on Thursday, August 8, his family said in a statement that he had a “child-like curiosity”, a strong work ethic and an “innate skill for identifying what people wanted”.
“Commercial success never blinded him to the joy he felt in the company of his children and six grandchildren. They, he liked to say, were the true riches of his life.”
In a post on RIP.ie, a friend of his said: “Paul was never driven by money but was a man of incredible vision, principle and energy.”
In later life, Paul McGlade lived in an apartment in Merrion Street, Dublin. His funeral took place yesterday in Donnybrook Church, followed by a service in the Victorian Chapel in Mount Jerome.