Brian McCarthy the first Corkman to receive Kerry person of year award

A civic reception has been given to a global entrepreneur who has kept his feet firmly on Kerry soil where he grew his tiny operation into a world-leading brand.

Kerry celebrated the 150th anniversary of the start of global communications on Valentia island with the transatlantic cable this week — and it is fitting that financial services company Fexco should be honoured at this time, chief executive Moira Murrell said.

“There is a huge decline in population in the south of the county and this is why Fexco is so important in sustaining the economy in this part of the world,” Ms Murrell said.

Brian McCarthy — who has been fascinated by the Valentia transatlantic cable story for many years and keeps a piece of the original Valentia cable in his office — revealed how, co-incidentally, it was a pilot programme of the first fibre optic cable in Kerry running through Killorglin which enabled his small operation to take off.

He arrived in Killorglin on the second day of Puck Fair in 1974 as an assistant manager with the AIB; and in 1981 started a small foreign exchange company in the town, exchanging dollars and sterling for punts and vice versa.

He asked Western Union in Britain if he could have a proposed call centre in Killorglin.

As it happened the first fibre optic cable in Kerry was running through Killorglin and this was what enabled the Western Union centre in Killorglin.

“I never thought I would become Kerry person of the year,” Mr McCarthy said.

Born in Dublin, Mr McCarthy grew up in Cork city and earlier this year became “the first Cork man” to receive the Kerry person of the year award, the reception heard.

Council chairman Cllr Michael O’Shea (FF) said he was delighted that one of his first official functions as Mayor of Kerry was “for a man who represents the very best of Kerry”.

“Brian McCarthy is one of life’s gentlemen. He is a quiet, polite and humble man — but that humility disguises a sharp brain, a steely tenacity and a strong determination to achieve goals. A small financial services business founded in Killorglin in 1981 would not have become the international success story it is today without that tenacity and determination,” Cllr O’Shea said.