Michael Dennehy:MICHAEL DENNEHY was the direct opposite of the popular image of the glad-handling, fast-talking PR guy.
He was a truly professional man who regarded his job as important and to be conducted to the highest standards. In private, he had a wicked sense of humour and a ready laugh, but little of this side of the man was visible during working hours.
To a lesser man, his father Tim’s astonishingly successful career as head of PR for CIÉ and later setting up his own PR firm would have overshadowed him, but Michael in his steady, utterly professional way forged his own career, which was as successful as his father’s.
While still in his 30s, Michael was chosen to represent the PR industry, which had come together to make the Papal Visit of Pope John Paul II in 1979 an astonishing success.
Much of this success was down to Michaels ability to harness the talents of such PR giants as Michael Colley of ESB, Pat Heneghan of Carrolls, Tony Gallagher of the IFA, Joe Murray, my partner and colleague and many others, to make every event in that remarkable visit an outstanding communications success. The strength of Michael’s success was in forging long term relationships with the organisations he represented.
For almost 40 years, Michael represented initially Waterford Crystal, and then Waterford Wedgwood until earlier this year.
Other organisations he represented included the Rose of Tralee Festival and the Irish Medical Organisation.
Clients over the years speak highly of the commitment, unflagging energy and superb advice, which he offered and delivered in terms of his communications messages.
Organisations lucky enough to employ Michael got two for one, because with Michael came Sarah Gallagher, one of the most professional and effective practitioners in our business.
The true measure of Michael’s success can be judged by the high regard Michael was held by journalists across the spectrum of print and broadcast media both here and abroad.
In my last conversation with Michael some weeks ago, he was circumspect about his failing health and focused without distraction on the job of work he and I undertook together.
A private man none the less, his love and devotion to his teenage son Tim shone through in the occasional personal remarks he would make as he let you only see a small part of his private life.
I will certainly miss him, as a colleague and we are all diminished by his passing.
He bore his illness with great courage and to his son Tim, his family, his colleague Sarah and to all his friends we offer our deepest condolences.
JM