John Moran’s route into political office as Limerick’s first directly-elected mayor has been somewhat unconventional.
He trained as a solicitor before heading to the US where he worked as a Wall Street lawyer and an international investment banker.
In 2004, during what he described as a ‘much-needed career-break’, he took French lessons at La Sorbonne in Paris before opening a juice bar in the south of France.
He first came to national prominence here in 2010, when he was appointed Secretary General in the Department of Finance, where the minister in charge at time was fellow Limerick man Michael Noonan.
It was the first time a non-career civil servant had taken the helm at the Department. He was certainly breaking the mold.
“We think that some of the key parts of what need to be in the Department going forward… is a culture… which encourages expression of ideas,” he said, after taking up the post.
He said he had returned to Ireland to help guide its recovery out of the economic collapse, and was at the helm when the country exited the bailout.
After two years, in a move that surprised many, he left the Department. In an email to staff at the time, he said he had viewed his time there “… as a mission with fixed purpose, not a long-term venture”.
Mr Noonan said he accepted the resignation “with regret”.
After leaving Finance, there came roles in European, national and regional organisations and he returned to Limerick.
Writing on his website, he said his recent cancer recovery had given him a renewed focus and had reinforced in him that the decision to choose “Georgian Limerick as our future home is absolutely the right one”.
Mr Moran grew up on a farm in Mungret and says the experience left an indelible mark and shaped him profoundly.
He has many strings to his bow and has just added another one.
