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Tom Canavan enjoyed life and his enjoyment was infectious. All of us who were in his wide circle of friends had our lives enhanced by his company, particularly his humour. Tom had the quintessential wit of Dubliners but few could match his quick-fire dead-pan responses, a feature that was almost a mark of his entertaining personality. It made him an alluring companion at work and play.

Probably Tom's best-known role was in the motor trade. He was the man who created a highly successful Honda and Volvo dealership on Dublin's East Wall Road, previously regarded as inhospitable territory for car retailing. Before setting up there he had been a high-profile salesman with the Denis Mahony dealership in Glasnevin.