Tributes paid to businesswoman Mary Hopkins

Grew Hopkins Communications over three decades into one of Ireland's top agencies

Mary Hopkins founded Hopkins Communications in the early 1990s.

Tributes have been paid to businesswoman Mary Hopkins, who died on Monday.

A native of Limerick, Mary founded the Cork communications and PR firm Hopkins Communications in 1990 and grew it over the next three decades into one of the country's top agencies.

She served in a range of business and civic roles, supporting a number of charity initiatives. A strong advocate of women in business, Mary served as President of Network Cork, the organisation for women in business in 1989.

In 2004, she took over the role of President of the Rotary Club of Cork, the first woman to be chosen to head the then 77-year-old branch. In 2007, she was appointed to the governing body of University College Cork, having been nominated by then Minister for Education Mary Hannifin.

She also served in a number of roles with Cork Chamber, including the Board of Directors and chairing the Members Services Committee.

Paying tribute, her daughter Judy, a partner at the firm, her son Mark, the Managing Director and husband, Captain David Hopkins, remembered Mary as an inspirational woman on so many levels.

"Mary was not only the cornerstone of our family but also the visionary founder of Hopkins Communications. She built this company with a pioneering spirit, a relentless commitment to creativity and community, and a deeply rooted belief in people."

"Founding our family business 35 years ago, she worked tirelessly to grow Hopkins Communications into the company it is today. She was and will always be the heart and soul of this business. Everything we do continues to be rooted in the values she lived by – hard work, integrity, compassion, and community."

Conor Healy, CEO of Cork Chamber said they were deeply saddened to learn of Mary's passing. "Mary was a pioneering businesswoman who established her own successful agency, Hopkins Communications, in Cork in the early 1990s and remained a hugely respected and much-loved presence in our business community ever since. She served on our Board of Directors, chaired the Members Services Committee more than 30 years ago, and helped establish initiatives such as the Cork Chamber Golf Classic, which continues to this day.

"Mary was also a familiar face at the Cork Chamber Annual Dinner for four decades, even giving her time to sit on the Annual Dinner Task Force for many years. Giving back to the business community was simply in her spirit, it is a very sad day for the Cork business community and Mary will be greatly missed."