ABOUT CHARLES GARAVANCharles went to Saint Enda’s National School in Galway and was later educated, in the loosest sense of the word, in Castleknock College in Dublin. He attended University College Dublin (though again that stretches the meaning of "attended" somewhat) graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Law with modest honours. He subsequently enrolled in the Honorable Society of King’s Inns where he acquired another law degree of approximately equal distinction.
During his time at university Charles represented the Law Society and Literary and Historical Society of UCD and the Debating Society of the King’s Inns in the Irish Times and Observer Mace debating competitions, reaching the semi-finals on several occasions. The fact that he was never a finalist he ascribes bitterly to open bias on the part of the various adjudicators. He also competed at the World Debating Championships and he and his debating partner were the only Irish team to reach the final 32 of the competition in that year. Once again, further progress in the competition was impeded by the blatant favouritism shown by the judges. |
No current photo available.
This is probably what he looks like now, after several weeks of Covid 19 lockdown an all-consuming Spanish project |
During his final year in UCD Charles broke the world record for the longest after-dinner speech as part of a fundraising event for the charity ‘Kids for Christmas’. He spoke for 46 hours and 10 minutes in the concourse of the Arts Block to an audience that often numbered in the tens and broke the previous world record by over 6 hours. He did not receive any kids for Christmas that year, though it was later explained to him that the money raised was in fact used to purchase Christmas presents for impoverished children.
After leaving university, Charles practised (an accurate description) as a barrister for several years. Undeterred by his modest showing in previous law exams, during his time at the Bar studied for and sat the Irish Taxation Institute's Associateship exams, achieving first place in Ireland in the final exams and first place in two of the four individual papers. His success in these particular exams is thought to stem from an enthusiasm for technicality that some have mislabelled geekishness.
In 2015, Charles earned his PhD in taxation law from Trinity College Dublin for his dissertation on 'The Tax Exile Problem', making him, he believes, the world's oldest child prodigy. He currently works as a lecturer in taxation law in UCD and the Irish Taxation Institute.
After leaving university, Charles practised (an accurate description) as a barrister for several years. Undeterred by his modest showing in previous law exams, during his time at the Bar studied for and sat the Irish Taxation Institute's Associateship exams, achieving first place in Ireland in the final exams and first place in two of the four individual papers. His success in these particular exams is thought to stem from an enthusiasm for technicality that some have mislabelled geekishness.
In 2015, Charles earned his PhD in taxation law from Trinity College Dublin for his dissertation on 'The Tax Exile Problem', making him, he believes, the world's oldest child prodigy. He currently works as a lecturer in taxation law in UCD and the Irish Taxation Institute.