Boland, William (1895–1960), businessman, was born in Bunnyconnellan, Ballina, Co. Mayo, the sixth of the seven children of Christopher Boland, farmer and partner in Reilly's and Boland, general merchant. Educated at CBS Synge Street, he joined the staff of the Hibernian Insurance Company and in 1923 purchased the 50 per cent holding of W. T. Cosgrave (qv) in the insurance brokers MacDonagh and Cosgrave. The firm had been founded by Cosgrave and Joseph MacDonagh (qv), brother of Thomas MacDonagh (qv), but the divisions created by the civil war forced Cosgrave to sell his stake and it became MacDonagh and Boland. Boland served as managing director from 1923 until his death and successfully built the business up to become Ireland's leading insurance brokers.
Boland was a founding director of the Irish Life Assurance Company in March 1939, and was appointed chairman the following June on the death of J. C. Dowdall (qv). He was also a member of the subsidiary company Irish Estates Ltd, which had charge of the Mespil housing development. Boland was a reserved man, and his political affiliation only became apparent at election time when his car was covered with Fianna Fáil posters, but his company was always regarded as having a Fianna Fáil pedigree. On 14 March 1928 he married Dr Alice Lemass, the sister of Seán Lemass (qv); his best man was Patrick Ruttledge (qv). The couple, who lived at Dromartin Farm, Dundrum, had no children, and Alice died of tuberculosis in 1946. Boland later lived at Simmonscourt Castle, Dublin. He died 4 January 1960, leaving estate valued at £53,586. His nephew was Mr Justice F. Mangan.