Academic, businessman, writer and above all, devoted paterfamilias

Howard Robinson, who died on February 2nd, was in many ways a most remarkable man

Howard Robinson, who died on February 2nd, was in many ways a most remarkable man. He made his own life choices, guided by a clear sense of what he believed to be important, achieving much of what he would have wished during the course of a full and happy life.

Born in September 1913, in the autumn before the outbreak of the first World War, he was christened Howard Waterhouse, named after his mother's father. The Waterhouses were jewellers and silversmiths with appointment to the Lord Lieutenant. His parents Ernest and Lilian, who was always called Dolly, lived in Killiney and subsequently, Monkstown. Howard Robinson was the second of a family of five children, of whom his older sister, Phyllis (Faris), is the only surviving member. His two brothers, Douglas and Kenneth, joined the Royal Air Force: Douglas died when his plane crashed into the North Sea in 1938 and Kenneth when his Spitfire was shot down in 1944. Another sister, Audrey (Kennedy), died in 1997.

He was sent to Kingstown School and to St Andrew's College, which was then on St Stephen's Green, before going to Trinity where he obtained a first-class moderatorship, with a gold medal, in legal science, a B.Comm and an LL B. While at Trinity he met Lucy Douglas, then a student at the College of Art: they were married at Balbriggan Parish Church on December 22nd, 1937. Their first son, Michael, was born in 1938, then Peter in 1942, Nicholas, 1946, and finally Andrew in 1948. Any simple categorisation would be difficult and inadequate. By profession he was an accountant, his standing among his colleagues recognised by his election in 1965 as President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland and by the special award presented to him in 1988 during the institute's centenary celebrations.

He was a successful businessman and banker. He created the City of Dublin Bank, built out of a hire-purchase company, Irish Buyway, which he had set up for, and then bought over from, Autocars, the motor dealers, in about 1950. City of Dublin has today become Anglo-Irish Bank; at the time of his retirement it was the only Irish bank, other than Bank of Ireland and AIB, which was quoted on the Dublin Stock Exchange. He held many directorships, one of which was with The Irish Times Ltd where he served on the board from 1959 to 1971.

READ MORE

Howard Robinson had his scholarly side. He was interested in history and earned a Trinity Ph.D. for his work on the history of accountancy in Ireland, carried out under the supervision of Leland Lyons. This history was published as a book in 1964, A History of Accountants in Ireland, and was followed by a second edition in 1983. Earlier, in 1953, he had published a book on Irish tax law, Irish Statute Law relating to Income Tax, Sur Tax and Corporation Profits Tax. For six years, from 1967 to 1973, he sat as a representative of the University Senate on the Council of the University of Dublin. He had always held Trinity in high regard and welcomed this opportunity of a renewed association with the college.

He read widely and amused himself by writing verse, but art was a very special interest. Over the years he built up a fine collection of Irish paintings, many of these by artists whom he had known and whose company he enjoyed. Victor Waddington was a close friend; they continued to meet regularly after Victor moved his gallery from Dublin to London. He travelled widely, for pleasure and from curiosity, seeking new experiences and enjoying the company of those he met along the way.

As a member of the Representative Body and the General Synod he was extremely influential in the affairs of the Church of Ireland. He made detailed studies of demographic trends and of retirement and recruitment patterns. His warning of the inadequacy of existing pension funding caused appropriate corrective action to be taken. On this and on other matters his judgment commanded wide respect. He was equally influential within the Incorporated Society for Promoting Protestant Schools in Ireland, in reorganising the management of its schools and in supporting the transfer to the State of Mountjoy and Cork Grammar schools to be recreated as Mount Temple and Ashton comprehensive schools.

Above all, he was a family man. The death of his much-loved wife, Lucy, in 1956, when Michael was just starting in Trinity, the other three boys still at school, reinforced the bond between father and sons, a bond which would, as the years went by, extend to embrace daughters-in-law, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. To his family, and this applied even when his daughter-in-law was President of Ireland, he was "The Boss". Indeed in later years he looked very much the patriarchal figure. But his relationship with all of his extended family was one of mutual respect and deep affection. He was immensely and justifiably proud of his four sons and their individual achievements.

Since 1983, he had lived and travelled abroad. Although contented, he knew that he would wish to spend his last years back in Ireland. So, after 15 years, he came home to a small house which he had acquired near Rathnew in Co Wicklow, which was where he died.

Howard Robinson is survived by his sons Michael, Peter, Nicholas and Andrew and by his sister Phyllis.

Howard Waterhouse Robinson: born 1913; died February, 2000