The death has occurred of former Fáilte Ireland chairperson and Budget Travel founder, Gillian Bowler. She was 64.
Ms. Bowler founded Budget Travel in 1975, above a flower shop on Dublin’s Baggot St. At the time, foreign travel in Ireland was in its infancy and Gillian, along with her husband Harry Snyder, introduced the country to new destinations and experiences previously unavailable to most Irish people.
Budget Travel eventually grew to a network of 30 shops, employing 350 people. Ms. Bowler was the public face of the company and grew to national prominence as a result. Budget Travel became famous for its heavily discounted January sales, which often saw people camping outside shops for days in advance.
From 2003 until 2008, she was the founding chairperson of Fáilte Ireland. She also chaired the pensions and banking group, Irish Life and Permanent, between 2004 and 2011, and was the last chairperson of an Irish banking institution to survive the 2008 crash.
Shaun Quinn, CEO of Fáilte Ireland said: “Gillian was a very dynamic, effective and truly inspirational chair who successfully guided our organisation during its early formative years with her unique blend of insight and enthusiasm. On behalf of Fáilte Ireland, I would like to extend our condolences to her husband Harry and her extended family.”
