Johnny Connaughton: ‘family man, businessman, sportsman, Christian’

One of the most successful businessmen, horse trainers and farmers in Westmeath, and proprietor of Bloomfield House Hotel, Mullingar, the late Johnny Connaughton, Barrettstown House, Dysart, was laid to rest in Kilternan Cemetery last Saturday. A large crowd attended his funeral Mass in the Cathedral of Christ the King, Mullingar, celebrated by Very Rev David O’Hanlon, PP, Dysart.

In his eulogy, Fr David said Johnny Connaughton was a man who was fully alive for nearly 94 years and up to the very end. “He was a proud Irishman, a loyal son of Westmeath, a devoted husband, loving father, a groundbreaking businessman, a consummate sportsman, and a good Christian,” he said.

Johnny was fully alive at home and abroad, in the boardroom and on the building site, on the racetrack and on the golf links, in the middle of the metropolis and at large in the country, Fr David continued.

He said Johnny was equally at ease with a prince, a pauper, a judge, a convict, a bishop, or a tramp. “Sometimes those categories overlap,” Fr David quipped.

He said that Johnny was born in Ballymore “aeons ago, in another world, in 1932, the year of the Eucharistic Congress, the real one, not the fake one we had a while ago. He was born at a time when Eamon De Valera was Taoiseach of this country, a different Ireland, a different world, pre-industrial, pre-electric, pre technological.”

Johnny was one of five children, only one of whom, PJ, survives. Their father died when Johnny was five years old and when he was 13, although he had won a scholarship at the national school, he was uprooted and sent to London to a recently widowed aunt, Fr O’Hanlon stated. He finished his education in London and was so bright that when he was “hardly 20, he was given a senior local government post in London”. Fr O’Hanlon pointed out that back then that was not an easy thing to achieve as an Irishman.

He explained how Johnny was put in charge of the reconstruction of London after the bombing of the blitz. “It was in that capacity that he developed his acumen as a developer, and many an Irish builder is thankful to Johnny Connaughton today because, of course, he gave them preferential treatment when he was handing out the contracts to rebuild London,” Fr David remarked.

He relayed a story told to him by Pat Corbett from Dysart about how Johnny caused a stir in Barrettstown when he, at a time of hardly any traffic, went speeding down the road in his Jaguar, wearing a pair of sunglasses. Pat said not only had we never seen a Jaguar, we never saw sunglasses before that, Fr David recounted.

He went on to describe how, at the age of 32, Johnny set up his own business and from then on carved out the great success he had in business and in life. “There was no work, life divide, for Johnny’s life was work – work was life for him, it was all sport, the whole thing, the whole enterprise was a great project of joy and excitement and pride and success. I don’t need to outline what that success is, you know that for yourselves,” Fr David told the congregation.

He recalled how he and Johnny’s daughter Liz visited him in the Beacon Clinic last year, and how they could hardly get a word in as Johnny was doing business on the phone from his hospital bed, despite being seriously ill and elderly. “He was doing business right up to the end because he enjoyed it,” Fr David commented.

He said that Johnny’s success would not have been possible without the constant support of his wife Teresa, his strength and stay. Fr David said they were a power couple before we had that term in Ireland, and were utterly devoted, loyal and faithful to each other in a relationship of mutual love and support that enabled them to bring up four beautiful children.

Fr David recalled how Johnny was given weeks, maybe months, to live eight years ago. With typical adventuring spirit, he embarked on a pioneering immunotherapy treatment. “Thanks to Teresa, the children, the carers and, of course, his right-hand John O’Shea and all the staff of Barrettstown, they kept him going with their care and their love and their encouragement,” he said.

He recalled how this time last year, at the age of 92, Johnny received one of the highest accolades of his life – the Irish Horse Racing Small Breeders award. Johnny was a man who knew a horse and a cow and had introduced Simmental cattle to Ireland, Fr O’Hanlon remarked.

He said accepting the award was one of the proudest moments of Johnny’s life, “maybe prouder than being captain and trustee of Killiney Golf Club”. Johnny was unable to stand to give his speech, but the speech he gave from his seat “brought the house down and received a standing ovation”, Fr David stated.

John’s faith was an important part of his life, Fr David remarked. He spoke of anointing Johnny at the end.

“He leaves behind him a huge gap, a huge hole, a huge void which we have to try, following his example, to fill by, like him, work and love; his life was full of both,” Fr David said. He was a proud Irishman, a loyal son of Westmeath, he was a devoted husband, loving father, a groundbreaking businessman, a consummate sportsman, a good Christian. Can anyone say more?,” Fr David concluded.

Symbols of Johnny’s life were carried to the altar – a plaque bearing the coat of arms of his beloved Killiney Golf club, a diary, an unopened bottle of rare Middleton whiskey, and the Horse Breeders catalogue which Fr David said was “Johnny’s constant guide to outwit the competition”.

Johnny’s son and daughter, Darragh and Laura, read the Sacred Scriptures. His grandchildren David, John Paul, Matthew, Sarah and Peter recited the Prayers of the Faithful and Saoirse and Cian brought up the Offertory gifts.

Johnny Connaughton, Barrettstown House, Dysart, and formerly of Killiney, County Dublin, and Ballymore, died peacefully at home on January 14, surrounded by his loving and devoted family.

Mr Connaughton is survived by his beloved wife Teresa, adored children Julie, Laura, Darragh and Elizabeth, his brother PJ, treasured grandchildren Saoirse, Cian, David, Sarah, Matthew, John Paul and Peter, son-in-law Mark, daughter-in-law Victoria, nieces and nephews, extended family, relatives, neighbours and friends.