The career of the late P.J. Hennelly
14 August 1996
Mr. P.J. Hennelly, whose untimely death saddened the entire community, was the principal figure behind the growing success of the Connaught Telegraph over the past decade.
He was responsible in 1974 for rescuing the firm from the brink of collapse because of crippling tax debts.
He candidly recalled in our commemorative supplement, published last April, that 'the locks had been bought to shut the place down.' "We could see no way out of our difficulties. But we sat down with the Revenue Commissioners and worked out a deal. Luckily we were able to pay back every penny, although it took a long number of years to do so.
"We would never have survived, however, without the help of so many people from many walks of life.
"I want to pay tribute to those in authority at the Revenue Commissioners at that time for not putting the hound on the Gillespie family for the monies they owned.
"I also want to put it on record that the Gillespies were not evading paying their debts. They did not believe the system should be that tough and that rough.
"They believed the tax people should be as lenient as they, themselves, were in collecting money from their own creditors."
With the difficult times put behind him, P.J. was delighted by the way the newspaper developed over the past ten to fifteen years.
After successfully holding the position of advertising manager since 1970, P.J. became General Manager in 1984 following the death of Mr. Thomas H. Gillespie, his great friend and colleague.
During his years in advertising, he was responsible for revolutionising the newspaper's advertising columns.
In recent years, P.J. admitted the advertising business had become very competitive, but an immense friendship existed between the Telegraph and its rivals.
"We helped one another as we should."
P.J. was also the newspaper's Central Mayo correspondent since joining the
firm in 1967.
Connaught Telegraph - News - August 1996
Connaught Telegraph - Sport - August 1996
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