Cormac Gilroy

Cormac Gilroy leads EY Law Ireland's newly established Banking and Finance practice, based in the firm's Cork office. Gilroy is a banking and finance Director with over 10 years of experience in the industry. He has worked across both private practice and in-house legal roles, with particular expertise in the real estate and development sectors.

Prior to joining EY, Gilroy represented leading domestic and international banks and non-bank lenders at Matheson, and also worked as legal counsel for Evara Ireland. Before joining EY Law Ireland, Cormac trained at one of Ireland's top-tier firms in Dublin while also spending time with an Irish-based real estate developer and a multinational bank. His education includes study at University College Cork, and he was a member of the UCC Law Society.

Gilroy brings extensive experience advising lenders, borrowers and sponsors on a wide range of domestic and cross-border financing transactions. As a Finance and Capital Markets associate at Matheson, he advised on major transactions including a €204 million acquisition by the Central Bank. He has represented a large number of leading borrowers, domestic banks, international banks and non-bank lenders in relation to bilateral and syndicated facilities.

Career History

• Head of Banking and Finance Practice, EY Law Ireland (2026-present)
• Legal Counsel, Evara Ireland
• Senior Associate, Finance and Capital Markets Group, Matheson
• Training role at top-tier Irish law firm (Dublin)

What Cormac Gilroy could bring to Head of Banking and Finance Practice at EY Law Ireland: With a decade of experience advising domestic and international lenders, borrowers, and sponsors across bilateral and syndicated financing, Cormac is well-positioned to lead EY's launch into banking and finance. His background spanning both private practice and in-house roles at a major residential developer (Evara), combined with expertise in real estate and development-focused transactions, provides a commercially pragmatic perspective. His track record advising on complex, high-value transactions positions him to build a credible practice serving EY's corporate, financial services, and real estate clientele.