It's generally known that O'Leary did about 2 years ACA training with Stokes Kennedy Crowley between his BBS graduation in 1982 and departure to his Walkinstown newsagent in 1985.
We also know that his first meeting Tony Ryan was through advising him on personal tax matters when at SKC. I suppose we can assume that SKC wouldn't allow any staff-member (and no exception for O'Leary) to be in a client-facing role with taxation advice till they were first qualified via the Institute of Taxation exams.
The story goes that Ryan had enquired about O'Leary after his SKC departure but was told he decamped to the Walkinstown shop. Then Ryan apparently went to the shop and began the "What are you doing here, man ?" conversation that led to O'Leary selling his shops and joining Ryan's personal businesses.
But did O'Leary ever complete the ACA finals and actually qualify as chartered accountant ?
I am inclined to think that he didn't bother to ever finish his ACA training as he was making a lot more in his newsagents and stood to make yet more still with Tony Ryan. Not to mention the glitz of aviation, continental travel, hostesses, plush hotels, freedom to shout his mouth off in the office, etc, etc.
We also know that his first meeting Tony Ryan was through advising him on personal tax matters when at SKC. I suppose we can assume that SKC wouldn't allow any staff-member (and no exception for O'Leary) to be in a client-facing role with taxation advice till they were first qualified via the Institute of Taxation exams.
The story goes that Ryan had enquired about O'Leary after his SKC departure but was told he decamped to the Walkinstown shop. Then Ryan apparently went to the shop and began the "What are you doing here, man ?" conversation that led to O'Leary selling his shops and joining Ryan's personal businesses.
But did O'Leary ever complete the ACA finals and actually qualify as chartered accountant ?
I am inclined to think that he didn't bother to ever finish his ACA training as he was making a lot more in his newsagents and stood to make yet more still with Tony Ryan. Not to mention the glitz of aviation, continental travel, hostesses, plush hotels, freedom to shout his mouth off in the office, etc, etc.