This article is from page 69 of the 2008-02-12 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 69 JPG
BRENDAN O’Regan’s first love in a working life that stretched over 70 years was the hotel business, his son Andrew told those attending his fa- ther’s funeral mass in the Pro-Cathe- dral Ennis on Monday afternoon.
Fitting then that after his burial in Drumcliffe Cemetery, family and friends of the Shannon pioneer re- treated to the Old Ground Hotel in Ennis in remembrance and celebra- tion of a remarkable life.
The Old Ground Hotel was once owned by the O’Regan family and it was from there that food was pre- pared for in-flight catering on the
transatlantic route when Shannon be- came the hub of the aviation world.
Tributes to O’Regan, who died on 3 February aged 90 years, were led by Canon Rueben Butler of Newmarket- on-Fergus in a funeral mass attended by over 300 people. Bishop Willie Walsh and Fr Harry Bohan also took part in the funeral service, while also present was Church of Ireland Bishop of Limerick and Killaloe, Dr Michael Mayes and a representative of President Mary McAleese.
“He had high standards for him- self and expected others to give of their best,’ said Canon Butler. “He achieved a lot because he recog- nised the strong points in others and
helped them fulfill their potential. Brendan’s leadership qualities made it possible for many in the mid west to move from unemployment to em- ployment,” he added.
Dr O’Regan’s son, Andrew, paid tribute to those who worked with his father across a host of ventures, ranging from business to local com- munity development and peace.
‘He was hugely conscious that he belonged to the first generation of free Irishmen. He saw that with this freedom came responsibility to en- Sure the success of Ireland,’ Andrew O’Regan said at the funeral mass.
“IT was in my 20s when I found out that Brendan’s initials, BOR had
been made into an acronym of Bash On Regardless. He had a great belief in his native place – of his beloved Clare in this instance and Ireland more widely.
“Brendan was possessed by pos- sibility. He would recognize that all those achievements of his were Shared achievements with all of those men and women who worked with him, who insisted on believing with him and dared to dream with him and did so when others felt it wouldn’t be done, shouldn’t be done and couldn’t be done. He understood the collective and communal creativ- ity that lay at the heart of his achieve- ments.”
Dr O’Regan’s son noted that in the days after his death, the family was required to fill a death certificate list- ing occupation at the time of death. “What to call him,’ said Andrew.
“Company director — that sounds a bit lame. Entrepreneur — a bit to flash for Brendan. What about hotelier — his first love. Or peace builder — his last love. Or visionary — a term often linked to him. How to capture him, how to label him, how to pigeon hole him. We in the family would like to think that his last permanent occupa- tion in life was being human as best jatempe cn teaa lms
All those in the Pro-Cathedral broke into spontaneous applause.