Seán Haughey: Nobody ever accused the former assistant Dublin city and county manager Seán Haughey, who died this week, of being a politician. Those who speak of the man recall his outstanding characteristics: integrity and a complete absence of plámás.
Delivering Seán's funeral eulogy, his son Niall recalled his dad's somewhat direct manner in dealing with complaints from members of the city council. Alice Glenn had apparently become so incensed with what she maintained was the poor quality of her constituents' tap water that she brought a bottle of what she described as the "poisonous stuff" into a council meeting.
Seán leaped to his feet, grabbed the bottle and swallowed most of the contents in a few gulps before handing it back with the assurance that if he didn't pass away neither would her constituents.
Born in Derry in 1924, Seán Haughey moved with the family as a child to Dublin, where he showed talent at sports. As a young man he played as a fullback for Shelbourne, playing League of Ireland and also taking a turn for Parnell's GAA club.
He joined Dublin Corporation as it was then in 1941 as a clerical officer and promotion came only after open competition. He became one of six assistant city and county managers in the early 1980s and was in the unusual position of being in office when his nephew and namesake Seán Haughey was lord mayor, and his brother Charlie was taoiseach.
Seán - son of Seán senior's brother, Charlie - recalls many times responding to a summons from former Dublin city manager Frank Feely, only to be told that staff had summoned the wrong Seán Haughey.
Seán was tasked with many things for the corporation, including the management of the housing and roads divisions. He oversaw Dublin fire brigade during and after the Stardust disaster, managing a period of much change in the service.
He also worked closely with architect Sam Stephenson on the building of the controversial Civic Offices at Wood Quay, although Sam - who also died this week - was to remark later that the corporation had spoiled his design by building only two of the planned four blocks.
By nature a direct, if not blunt man, he was neither a giver nor receiver of favours. The former lord mayor recalls that he never got any special attention from his uncle, the assistant manager. Colleagues recall a man who would stick to his guns, a good administrator whose head was never turned by the high office of his brother.
His one vice appeared to have been golf, and he would slip away to Howth from his home in Clontarf every Sunday morning. He made penance, however, with an annual pilgrimage to Lough Derg. He was also active in the community where he lived on Dunseverick Road with his late wife Imelda and helped in fundraising for the local parish church, St Anthony's.
In his latter years he added an annual visit to Lourdes to his itinerary.
He lost Imelda on New Year's Eve 1999 and friends said he lost with her something of his zest for life. Seán Haughey died following a long illness in St Mary's Hospital, in Dublin's Phoenix Park, on Tuesday last, aged 82.
He is survived by his elder sister Maureen and brother Fr Eoghan Haughey; his two daughters, Ann and Mary; three sons, Darach, Niall and Brian; and 12 grandchildren.
Seán Haughey: born Derry, 1924; died Dublin, November 7th, 2006
