Sincere tributes to a great newspaper man
and outstanding community worker
14 August 1996
Glowing tributes have been paid to Mr. P.J. Hennelly, general manager, Connaught Telegraph, following his sudden death on Thursday.
Dr. John Connolly, managing director, Connaught Telegraph, said P.J.'s death represented a tremendous blow to his family and newspaper colleagues.
His passing was also an immense loss to the town and county, in general. "His death is like a light going out. He was so full of energy that it is hard to believe he is gone.
"He brought the Connaught Telegraph through some very dark times to be the successful organisation it is today. He was very proud of the Connaught Telegraph, and we were very proud of him. Nothing was too much for him.
"He was a very friendly person. I am going to miss him at all levels in my life. He was like a brother, a very good friend and a great colleague.
"P.J. was always in good humour. I don't think he ever had a bad word to say about anybody. He was a great man in any kind of crisis, a great ally in any sort of trouble you might have."
His death followed the passing on December 18th last of P.J.'s dear friend and colleague, the late Tom Courell, former editor of the Connaught Telegraph.
Said Dr. Connolly: "It is a very sad experience when looking at the photographs on the walls of our new offices to see the faces of those who have now lost.
"But as P.J. himself would say, life must go on. He lived by that philosophy. He was a man who certainly had his priorities right. First came his family. Then his work, then Castlebar, the province and Ireland.
"He gave of his best in every sphere of his life and helped everybody he could along the way."
Mr. Tom Gillespie, editor, Connaught Telegraph, said P.J. had a common sense approach to everything in life and business.
"He was a tremendous friend to everyone in the newspaper. His proudest moment came in April when President Mary Robinson opened our news offices.
"His passing has created a huge void. It will be very hard to replace him. We will never see his like again, I am afraid."
Mr. Paddy McGuinness, who worked with P.J. at community level for three decades, said his abiding memory of the man was his bubbling enthusiasm.
"He was such an energetic person, it is hard to credit that he is now gone. I first got to know him 30 years ago through the Castlebar Song Contest when he was involved in show bands.
"We worked together in commemorating the memory the late Gerry McDonald with a stand at MacHale Park, for which he helped to raise £40,000.
"The stand is a tribute to P.J.'s organisational abilities."
Mr. McGuinness said the late Mr. Hennelly was responsible for rescuing Castlebar Chamber of Commerce from being a dormant organisation some years ago.
"He brought freshness and enthusiasm to the chamber. It is a much stronger organisation today because of him.
"From a personal point of view, it is a source of great satisfaction to me that he was one of my closest allies in the Mayo R.T.C. campaign.
"He was right by my side when the going was tough. In the context of the Olympics and in the race of life, P.J. Hennelly was a gold medallist in my estimation.
Mr. Seamus Duffy, secretary, Manulla Football Club, said P.J. was a local man through and through and had great pride in the community, be it Manulla or Castlebar.
"If there was something that needed to be got going, P.J. would be there at the centre of it.
"At a local level, he was the farmer, the man who read at Mass, the man who gave out communion, and so on. He gave of himself unselfishly. "
Mr. Pat Jennings, secretary, Castlebar Chamber of Commerce, said P.J. was the most successful president in the history of the organisation.
"There is no doubt among the business community in the town that the main reason Castlebar has flourished in recent years was due to P.J.'s unstinting work."
Mr. Pat Quigley, president, Football Association of Ireland, recalled how he worked with P.J. Hennelly during his show band days.
"He was manager of different bands over the years, and we always enjoyed meeting him at different venues throughout the country.
"He was one of the great characters of his time. We will all miss him greatly. He was a one-off. A very special man, indeed. God bless his wife, Peggy, and family."
Mr. Cathal Duffy, who worked with P.J. as a director of Mid West Radio, said the deceased espoused the cause of local radio and was to the forefront of having MWRfm established.
"In recent years he gave himself totally to the promotion and development of trade in Castlebar. He was a very effective and tireless worker as president of the local Chamber of Commerce.
"In this role he took a leading part in motivating local people to be proud of their town and make it the tidiest, cleanest and most attractive in Ireland.
"You can see how effective he was in his task by looking around the streets, the roundabouts and the shops.
"He was a staunch supporter of the Fine Gael party and offered himself for election in 1967 for Mayo County Council and achieved a very substantial vote, a testament to his general popularity.
"He was not narrow in his political views, always ready to work for the good of the area, the county, the province and the county.
"He was a prince among men, gentle, caring, good humoured, while still effective in his business relationships."
Mr. Joe Butler, chairman, Castlebar Tidy Towns Committee, said P.J. played a key role in helping to revive the local tidy towns initiative.
"He was a man who put his heart and soul into everything he did. He loved to see Castlebar grow and prosper. We are all shattered by his untimely death."
Tributes have also been pouring in to the Connaught Telegraph offices from
friend of P.J. Hennelly throughout the newspaper industry.
Connaught Telegraph - News - August 1996
Connaught Telegraph - Sport - August 1996
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