Myles Staunton – An indefatigable entrepreneurial spirit

PAYING RESPECTS Former Taoiseach John Bruton shakes hands with Hugh Staunton, son of the late Myles Staunton Snr.

Indefatigable entrepreneurial spirit


Áine Ryan

COLOURFUL, intrepid, tenacious, warm, boyish, and sometimes infuriating: by all accounts the late Myles Staunton was all these and much more. As Westport, and the wider world said a sad goodbye over the weekend to its native son, a former TD, Senator, and businessman, who worked tirelessly for his home-town and county over a span of half a century, an hilarious anecdote told to The Mayo News yesterday encapsulates the man.  
A few years ago the late Myles Staunton Snr had a hip replacement operation. Naturally, such surgery forces the majority of people to take it easy for a while. Not the indefatigable Myles, though. Despite entreaties from every quarter, he refused to slow down during the six-week recuperation period. Unsurprisingly, he ended up undergoing four more operations within a month because the new hip kept popping out. 
Before one of these operations, his son Myles Staunton Jnr went into the Mayo General Hospital in Castlebar to see him. His colorful father had already asked to be moved from a private ward to a public one because he was ‘bored’. Anyway, when Myles Jnr walked in to the ward, there was his Dad surrounded by five or six other male  patients, sitting in their dressing-gowns, entranced. Before Myles Jnr got a chance to open his mouth, they had all turned around and in a chorus whispered: “Sshh”.
It transpired the incorrigible Myles Snr was doing a live interview on Mid-West Radio and was in the middle of  explaining to Liamy McNally the details of his latest innovative venture, Mayo Power Ltd and, moreover, why it was bound to succeed.
Unsurprisingly, this energetic busyness continued right up until his sudden and untimely death last Wednesday morning, June 22.
Just over a month ago Myles whisked his wife Marianne away to the sun-soaked romantic destination of Amalfi, near the Bay of Naples, for an idyllic odyssey down memory lane. Forty seven years ago the young couple had spent their honeymoon there. Undoubtedly, their special holiday elicited many reflections and musings on the half century they had spent together.
During last Saturday’s  funeral Mass service, Father Francis Mitchell likened Myles to both the late Monsignor James Horan, for his entrepreneurial tenacity; and to the late Dr Garret Fitgerald, for his integrity, honesty and statesmanlike qualities.
Over the previous days, his unique impact on people whether family, neighbours, friends, business colleagues, Fine Gael party members or the broader body politik, was clear as hundreds and hundreds more mourners called to the family home in Streamstown to pay their last respects.
The fact that Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s plane could not land at Knock Airport on his return from an EU Leaders’ Summit meetings  did not deter the country’s leader from visiting the wake house and leading the funeral cortege on James Street on Friday evening last. Minister of State Michael Ring, who was also about to travel abroad on government work, returned to Westport to express his condolences privately to the family.
Last Saturday’s funeral Mass was concelebrated by Fathers Mitchell, Gerry Burns, Aidan McGing and Paddy Gill. Myles’s old classmate, retired Choirmaster, Gabriel Kelly was on-hand while a relative of Marianne’s, Helen Houlihan, from Ennis, evoked the sacred spirituality of the service with her renditions of Ave Maria, Pie Jesu and Make me a Channel of Your Peace.  
The late Myles Staunton had a simple faith that ensured each night – no matter how hectic his day had been – he knelt by his bed and said his prayers. Just before his death he travelled to the UK for his granddaughter’s First Holy Communion. Sadly, it was to be his last communion. Although, you would never know what kind of miracles he may pull off in the next world.

Elsewhere on mayonews.ie
Death of Senator, servant and innovative entrepreneur
Myles Staunton – an appreciation