Michael J Egan – illustrious international career as an engineer, manager and team leader

Michael Egan was a distinguished engineer who graduated in chemical engineering from UCD in 1965, a time when its nascent chemical engineering faculty was limited to 12 students a year. He was to prove a stellar graduate in his field.

College success led to an illustrious international career as an engineer, manager and team leader which spanned five decades that proved him to be a true exemplar of a new generation of Irish professionals open to a global world. Among many achievements was his role in the building of a distillery in China. He was justifiably proud of innovations he brought to the distilling process.

O'Connell's CBS on North Richmond Street provided the inspiration for his life's work. There he came under the influence of Br Edward Laffan, and Michael proved a star performer in chemistry and physics.

Classmates in the 1961 Leaving Cert year recall his temerity in challenging his teacher’s opinions on contentious and bewildering points, much to suppressed delight all round.

Seán Moncrieff: A trivial customer service matter wakes my ancient, animalistic rage

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After graduation from UCD he went to Canada to gain experience and spent a few years with the Dupont company. Upon his return to Ireland, Michael studied for a master's degree and then a PhD on the distillation process. He was employed for a decade by Irish Distillers and took the role of chief engineer in designing and setting up the new Midleton distillery in Co Cork.

He then joined Jacobs Engineering in 1978 and spent five years as head of process engineering. He worked there on very large international projects, including the Arab potash plant at the Dead Sea in Jordan and solar pans and a potash refinery high up in western China. In 1983 Jacobs was asked by Guinness's CEO Paddy Galvin to work as chief engineer on the design and build of a new brewhouse. After five years he joined the company definitively. So the boy who was brought up on James's Street, the son of a publican, had truly come home, a boast that always delighted him.

In 1993 Michael joined Project Management Group (PM) and set up its environmental health and safety department.

He also rekindled his connections with UCD and lectured there for 10 years on process design and safety. Prof Damian A Mooney recalled his kindness to students in helping them get jobs. “I would say that at a crude estimate he helped 300 to 400 engineers spanning a generation.’’

Folk music and genealogy were passions outside of engineering. He was a pioneer in efforts to develop a national framework for local parish initiatives in this area and also took a leading role in the Irish Family History Society. He was chairman of Clans of Ireland in from 2012 to 2015 and honoured by being inaugurated Chieftain of the Egan Clan. It was with this cherished title that his ashes were interred in his favourite place, "St Kieran's city fair'', at Clonmacnoise in historic Egan territory.

Michael is a huge loss to his devoted wife Terry and family, and will always be remembered by friends, colleagues and the class of ’61. May he rest in peace.