The Dean always looked out for us

We called him The Dean because he was our leader on many a journey along the roads of rural Ireland and in the corridors of power in Dublin and Brussels.

But yesterday that generosity of his spirit, that willingness to give colleagues a helping hand, and the knowledge that helped to solve many a query suddenly left us suddenly without notice.

Sean MacConnell, with twinkling eyes, loved to tease us by introducing himself to people in our presence as “the gentleman from The Irish Times”, was fiercely protective of us all and was a loyal and wonderful colleague.