ON HOME GROUND Local Fine Gael members lead a Guard of Honour up Bridge Street at the funeral of the late Myles Staunton.?Pics: Conor McKeown
Death of Senator, servant and innovative businessman
Áine RyanPUBLIC life and service was part of the late Myles Staunton’s familial gene pool. At the turn of the twentieth century his grandfather, also Myles Staunton, was a leading member of the United Irish League, a movement determined to end the inequalities of colonial landlordism. Like his great-grandson, Cllr Myles Staunton Jnr, he would also chair the then Urban District Council, albeit in much more desperate times during those tumultuous years before the 1916 Rising.
It was as a businessman and shop owner that the late Myles Snr’s father, Hubert (known locally as Bertie) was best known. He was also a member of the board of directors of a Westport company, established by Charles Hughes in 1936, called the Reliable Shoe Company.
As the eldest son, Myles Staunton Snr automatically joined the family business, aged just 17. However, a love of learning led him to receive a prestigious Fulbright scholarship later in life.
Crusader for west ACCORDING to former Taoiseach and personal friend, John Bruton, a defining characteristic was Myles’s seamless ability to merge political belief with his creative business brain.
In the hours after his sudden death last week, Mr Bruton observed that Myles had ‘played a critical role in 1973, in bringing to office the first Coalition Government after 16 uninterrupted years of Fianna Fail rule. By winning an additional DΡil seat for Fine Gael along with the late Henry Kenny in a hotly-contested three-seat constituency in Mayo, he tipped the balance in favour of a change of Government, and brought Liam Cosgrave and Brendan Corish to office, in what was to prove to be one of the great Governments of the twentieth century’.
Noting his immediate impact in Leinster House, John Bruton said he was ‘a convinced and convincing advocate of viable, commercial, and privately-run, economic development in the west of Ireland’.
This was because, Mr Bruton opined, he was willing to put his money where his mouth was, whether in his development of the local seaweed or turf industries.
John Bruton also said: “He was a strong supporter, in the Senate, of Knock Airport and held his own in every argument with those who questioned this vital link for all of Connacht. In everything he attempted, Myles was relentless in pursuing his goals and was never discouraged by the setbacks sometimes inflicted upon him by myopic bureaucracy.”
Concluding, he remarked that Myles recognised the pivotal importance of creating international links.
“From the outset of his career, Myles recognised that his native county could only prosper if it developed links with, and understanding of, the problems of other parts of the world. He recognised the possibilities of globalisation almost before the word was invented.”
Myles was a founding member of the Trilateral Commission, which brings together elected politicians, academics, businesspeople and civil servants from Asia, Europe and North America.
Poignantly, just over a month ago, The Mayo News revealed that Mayo County Council had granted planning permission for the construction of a new biomass power station near Killala. Mayo Power Ltd was the brainchild of the late Myles Staunton and is expected to create 220 full-time jobs, while 200 temporary building posts will be generated during its two-year construction.
TributesTHE LATE Myles Staunton represented Mayo as a TD during the Liam Cosgrave government of 1973 to 1977. Defeated in the 1977 general election, he went on to serve as a senator in the Seanad until 1982 and later again from 1989 to 1992.
Speaking last week, the current Cathaoirleach of the Seanad, Castlebar, Senator Paddy Burke described Mr Staunton as a ‘true parliamentarian, public representative and servant of both the State and Co Mayo’.
“He carried out his parliamentary duties over a 12-year career in the Oireachtas with great foresight and dignity,” said Senator Burke.
In a lyrical tribute, Cathaoirleach of Westport Town Council, Cllr Tereasa McGuire said yesterday: “Westport has lost one of its finest statesmen. A politician always thinks of the next election while statesmen, like Myles, think of the next generation. Myles Staunton was ahead of his time.
He was an advocate of alternative energy and the harnessing of our natural resources before the Green agenda even existed, On behalf of the town council I wish to extend my heartfelt sympathy to his family. It is now left to his son Myles, a Fine Gael council colleague, to continue his father’s wonderful legacy.”
Speaking last night to The Mayo News on behalf of his mother and siblings, Myles Staunton Jnr said: “The family were simply overwhelmed by the amount of support and kindness we received throughout these difficult days.”
Myles Staunton Snr (1935 – 2011) is survived by his wife Marianne and children Ruth, Elizabeth, Hugh, Myles and Aoife. He is also survived by his brothers, Hugh, Patrick, John and Neil.
Elsewhere in mayonews.ie
Myles Staunton – An indefatigable entrepreneurial spiritMyles Staunton – an appreciation
Áine Ryan looks back on the life of businessman and former senator Myles Staunton, who died last week
