Frank O'Kane:Frank O'Kane, who has died aged 65, was the chairman and chief executive of Mercury Engineering, a firm that with his business partner Joe Morgan he built up into one of the most successful engineering companies in Ireland.
Mercury has been a key element in the delivery of much of the country's recent hi-tech industrial infrastructure - most notably the IDA-backed, US-owned pharmaceutical and electronics firms that are a key ingredient of Ireland's current economic success.
Frank was one of a family of 12 children, born in 1942 and reared in the border town of Strabane. His first lessons in business were from his family, most notably his father, a successful cattle dealer who instilled in him a will to succeed.
Frank was educated at St Columb's College in Derry and then joined his brothers' business - JJ O'Kane Electrical Engineering.
In 1972 he teamed up with Dubliner Joe Morgan - his life-long business partner and friend who was with him when he fell ill while walking in Wicklow. Together they set up a small contracting business, Mercury Engineering, based in Charleston Road, Ranelagh, Dublin.
During the 1970s and 1980s Frank and Joe built up the business and responded to the bleak economic climate in Ireland by blazing a trail in the Middle East, having notable success in such difficult markets as Libya.
In the early 1990s, the IDA succeeded in attracting Intel, the world's leading semi-conductor manufacturer, to Leixlip. Intel posed great challenges to Irish construction firms, needing complex and hugely technical engineering infrastructure to deliver its Pentium and other microchips.
Frank and Joe responded to this challenge by constructing the Fab 14 project (1994) with speed and efficiency. Mercury went on to provide the mechanical and electrical (M&E) services to many of the largest pharmaceutical and commercial projects and it is now the largest M&E contractor in Ireland and the United Kingdom.
In recent years, Mercury was involved in the Dublin Port Tunnel project, the Luas and major developments at Dublin airport.
Today Mercury is a €500 million a year firm employing 5,000 people from its headquarters in Sandyford, Dublin. Frank travelled extensively to meet clients in the United States, UK, Libya, Russia, Poland, Bahrain, Qatar and elsewhere - building up a huge range of strong relationships based on trust and shared visions.
Frank O'Kane had a life-long interest in film and in 2005 funded UCD's centre for film studies at Belfield's Magnetical Observatory.
The anchor and centre of Frank's personal life were his family who lived in Foxrock. Rosaleen and Frank married in 1968 and he was exceptionally proud of his children - Eamonn, twins Ronan and Clodagh, and Rachael.
Frank had a wide circle of friends in politics, arts, business and sport. He was a generous host. Social evening were not just fun - they were a time for Frank to explore ideas and strategies. Many charitable causes benefited from his generosity, given quietly.
Frank's contribution to Ireland was acknowledged in 2003 when he was awarded a Doctorate of Laws by UCD.
Frank had a weekend retreat in the Wicklow mountains - an area he said reminded him of Donegal where he spent his summers as a youth. He shared his passion for hill walking with his family and friends, and thankfully Joe and his close friends were with him when he fell ill near Curtlestown.
He departed in a manner that he would have wished for - even if far too early.
Frank O'Kane: born July 16th, 1942; died December 22nd, 2007