Donnybrook Church was crowded on the evening of Tuesday, May 18th, last and at Mass the following morning. The congregation consisted of important people in the business and commercial life of the country - bankers, manufacturers, traders, directors of firms, big and small, of representatives of the media, journalists, television and radio stars and of many, many others who fitted into none of these categories. We had all come together to pay tribute and an earthly farewell to Kevin McCourt of whom it could truly be said in relation to the business life of his day that he did "bestride the narrow world like a colossus".
Starting his career as a clerk in Dublin United Tramways his brilliance and ability brought him quickly to many other posts, as he steadily ascended the ladder of fame and fortune in the world of business. By 1944 he was chief executive of the Federation of Irish Manufacturers. In 1949, he became a founder member of the Industrial Development Authority and later executive director of Carrolls of Dundalk. In 1958, he moved to Holland to become co managing director of Hunter Douglas N.V. Returning to Ireland in 1963, he was appointed director-general of Radio Telefis Eireann. Leaving this post in 1968, Kevin took up a new challenge and formed and became group managing director of Irish Distillers. There followed chairmanship of Gorta and a variety of other directorships and chairmanships, too numerous to mention, which kept him active right up to his death. It was this broad sweep of activities that bound and brought together at his funeral the different categories of people that I have mentioned. Their feelings were fully expressed in an elegant address at the end of Mass by Mr H Kilroy.
However, it is on behalf of the others - those who did not necessarily belong to any of these groups that I write these lines and in doing so hope to express the recollections we shared and the feelings we had for a dear departed friend. Kevin enjoyed meeting people and in making new acquaintanceships. He always displayed a truly Christian interest in the lives and fortunes of others but at the same time retained a shrewd ability to detect what was insincere and false. Once admitted to his circle of friends one experienced what true trust and affection meant. Despite his multitude of activities, he always had a listening ear and valuable advice for those facing some personal problem big or small, and his friendships lasted despite gaps in years and despite the different directions which lives might take. And so in the church in Donnybrook on these two days, old school friends and those who only came to know him in more recent times came together, perhaps unknown to one another, to say a prayer and a sorrowful farewell.
Our association, Kevin's and mine and that of our wives, stretched over 50 years from the days when we were neighbours living in adjoining houses. During this long period we spent many social occasions together, sometimes as host or guests in each others houses, sometimes on joint holidays and sometimes for particular events.
Meeting Kevin was always enjoyable. He was a good conversationalist and an accomplished raconteur. Although there were often long gaps between such meetings, Kevin's easy camaraderie overcame any possible hesitancy in resuming an intimacy which had been broken and made it appear as if such gaps had never occurred. He was a superb host. His way of life often necessitated considerable entertaining. This generally took place in his house. Such occasions were always memorable. Kevin's ability to bring people together would come into play and his wit, humour and anecdotes would soon melt shyness and reserve and bring smiles to the sternest of faces. His table, presided over by the lovable Peggy, always carried such delicacies of food and wine as to ruin even the strictest of diets. Kevin loved music and song and sometimes such occasions ended with his fine tenor voice giving real pleasure to all those present.
Kevin and Peggy were blessed with a lovely family. Probably Declan, as his only son, and already well established in the business world, was the most generally known but his daughters Pamela, Germaine and Deirdre always played an important part in his life and were very dear to him. His was a loving and happy family to whom his death, while bringing real sorrow, also brought the consolation of having had such a wonderful father.
T.F.O'H.