Tributes have continued to flow in for developer Owen O’Callaghan who was laid to rest today, writes Kevin O’Neill and David Linnane.
Members of Cork City Council have paid their respects to Mr O’Callaghan, who was described as a visionary developer who delivered thousands of jobs and many of Cork’s landmark buildings.
Mr O’Callaghan’s company, O’Callaghan Properties was responsible for building the Opera Lane shopping centre and offices, Paul Street Shopping Centre, Merchant Quay Shopping Centre, and Mahon Point. shopping centre and retail park.
His forward-thinking nature and commitment to Cork were chief among the attributes praised by city councillors.
Fianna Fáil’s Terry Shannon commended Mr O’Callaghan on a personal and professional level: reserving particular praise for his love of Cork.
He said, “He was building in Cork when nobody else was, and he always showed a great loyalty to Cork. He was always very conscious of the need to keep Cork developing so that it would enable us to keep attracting jobs to the city. His commitment to our city will be sadly missed.”
Speaking for the Fine Gael group, Cllr Laura McGonigle praised Mr O’Callaghan’s sensitivity when it came to massive developments.
She said, “He was very willing to listen and understand. Mahon Point was an enormous development and there was potential for enormous upset as a result, but Owen was the kind of guy who worked with the residents’ associations and others there to make sure there were no feathers ruffled.
“While he was a national and international developer, his heart was always in Cork.”
Similar praise came from the Sinn Féin group via Cllr Chris O’Leary, who said Mr O’Callaghan would always take the time to sit down with locals and discuss issues where they arose. Mr O’Leary praised his commitment to the city and its progress, specifically in relation to the proposal of the boundary extension.
“He was very supportive of the city, and he was bold enough to stand up when others wouldn’t with regard to how the city should be treated.”
Independent councillor Kieran McCarthy backed his counterpart in these comments.
He said, “The city has lost one of its champions. Owen was always seen on the streets and in the boardrooms pushing the city and the region forward.
“He had a great grasp of where Cork needed to go to and he will be sorely missed.”
On Cork County Council, Ballincollig-based Councillor Derry Canty praised Mr O’Callaghan as a Ballincollig man and a understanding developer.
“If there was ever any problem with his firm, he was always there to the fore to meet you. At any function or event that I attended, he was always understanding and listening,” he said.
Fine Gael councillor Kevin Murphy said that it was an “absolute huge loss” to Cork.
“He was a very forward-thinking, very outgoing man, who had huge plans for Cork. He did huge work to enhance the whole area,” he said.
This article first appeared in the Evening Echo.
